Pele transcended soccer and became one of the first global icons of the 20th century. With his winning smile and an aw-shucks humility, he was better known than many movie stars, popes or presidents.
The Associated Press cited a senior U.S. intelligence official as saying the blast was due to Russian missiles crossing into Poland. However, the Pentagon said on Tuesday it could not confirm reports that Russian missiles had crossed into Poland.
"It's a scene that nobody wants to see. From the first step when I went in, it felt harrowing," Piyalak Kingkaew, an experienced emergency worker heading the first responder team, told Reuters.