Terrorist attack in Moscow metro

According to a locomotive brigade, an explosion has ripped through one of the train car's around 8:30 am today in the Moscow metro.

Zamoskvoretskaya metro line has trains traveling in the following direction: from “Rechnoi Vokzal” to “Novokuznetskaya”. Trains are currently stopped between stations “Krasnogvardeiskaya” and “Novokuznetskaya”, reports press service of the Moscow metro in its interview to RBC.

According to a locomotive brigade, an explosion in one of the train cars has ripped around 8:30 am today in the Moscow metro. The train was traveling from “Paveletskaya” to “Avtozavodskaya” station.

Rescue workers and ambulances are currently at the scene. They continue to evacuate people from the smoky tunnel.

According to the preliminary information of the Moscow State Department of Internal Affairs, the blast occurred in the second car of the train. More than 30 ambulances are at the scene.    
 

Latest News: 30 people have been killed and nearly 370 have been injured as a result of the blast in the Moscow metro. People in serious and critical conditions are being admitted to Moscow's hospitals.

According to the Ministry, a number of the dead can exceed a hundred, since the entire train has been seized with fire.
There is a possibility that the blast was triggered by a suicide bomber.

The blast equaled to almost 2 kg in trinitrotoluol equivalent, said a  representative of the investigation brigade.  The explosion ripped in 500 meters from the station. The train continued moving for another 300 meters until it stopped.

There was a total of 1500 people in the train at the time. Rescuers finished evacuating people from the tunnel at 10:15am. Approximately 700 people have been evacuated.

The blast triggered massive fire (of the highest 5th category) in the metro. There were nearly 100 people in the second car, reports ITAR-TASS.

President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the terrorist act. Ministry of Internal Affairs along with FSB has arrived to the scene. Director of Moscow's Department of Emergency Situations Alexander Eliseev was also present.

Acting Mayor of Moscow Valery Shantsev has just left for the crime scene. He intends to examine the situation personally hear reports of the city's services. 

(New Details)

3:21 pm MSK

Act of terrorism was thoroughly planned

The main version of Russian law-enforcers – delayed fuse was used in Moscow Metro.
The explosion was localized in relatively small area, therefore probably there was no suicide bomber in the Metro train car, said Deputy Mayor of Moscow Valery Shantsev.  

The time and place of the explosion were thoroughly selected – the rush-hour when trains are overcrowded with people going to work. At this time of the day plenty of people go from Paveletsky Railway Station and Circular Metro Line to the factories and other institutions located along the “green” line where the explosion happened. The "green" line had the highest concentration of passengers.

In addition, the Metro spot where the explosion happened is located under the Moscow River. This could cause more accidents, such as water leak into the Metro tunnel. Why did the explosion happen 300 meters away from Avtozavodskaya Metro Station? Terrorists could hope that smoke out of the tunnel can cause panic at the station. Also, a terrorist never works alone. The accomplice could be waiting at Avtozavodskaya Station, and from there he/she could activate the fuse when it reached the zone of his remote control operation.

There is also a version that the explosion could be some auxiliary action in the plans of terrorists. They could elaborate another operation, such as bringing people or equipment to Moscow while law-enforcers are in a turmoil caused by the explosion.

Moscow police reveals the suspect's photorobot

6:43 pm MSK

One of the video cameras of the Moscow metro recorded a detailed image of a possible accomplice of a female suicide bomber, reported the investigative committee.

Moscow law-enforcement is searching for “a man in his 30s, with distinct Caucasian (from Caucasus) facial characteristics, with sharp nose, chubby lips, clean-shaved, wearing a dark leather hat with fake fir.”

ITAR-TASS reports that, the suspect approached one of the guards at the “Avtozavodskaya” train station not long before the blast and said: “I’ll give you a holiday!”

According to the Moscow law-enforcement, a suspected female suicide bomber and this man were seen at one of the train stations. Each one of them had a suitcase.

According to another sources, the man was accompanied by “two women (20-25) dressed in black”.

 Director of communication department of the State Department of Internal Affairs Cyril Mazurin presented a photorobot of the suspect. According to Mazurin, the suspect is a wide-shouldered “Caucasian” male in his 40s. Also, the man is said to be “well-built, 170cm tall”. Supposedly, he was wearing a dark jacket and a black hat.

Maruzin also pointed out that the photorobot had already been sent to all police stations and information agencies of the city.

In addition, police is searching for a dark gray sedan Toyota Corolla. It is believed that people in that car can somehow be connected to the terrorist act.

Usually, “several individuals are involved in planning an attack. Accomplices are always there to “protect” a suicide bomber and to make sure everything goes as planned,” informs the Ministry in its interview to ITAR-TASS.

Currently, policemen continue to question witnesses.   

The Ministry does not exclude a possibility that “the attack in the Moscow metro had been just another link in the entire chain of terrorist acts in Russia.”

Latest data of number of victims of terrorist act in Moscow Metro

8:00 MSK

Deputy Russian Interior Ministry Alexander Chekalin informed reporters the latest estimation that 39 were killed and 122 injured taken to hospitals.
16 of the injured are in a critical condition, one person died in hospital. There is one child among the injured.

There also have been reports about detecting many body fragments. The Office of State Prosecutor Employees are busy with their identification. Only after the identification procedure is completed, it will be possible to name the exact number of the killed people.

02-07

1:20 pm MSK

Moscow authorities to compensate victims of metro blast

The Mayor's Office of Moscow City will pay compensation of 100,000 roubles to the families of those killed in Friday's blast in the Moscow metro. All those injured will receive 50,000 roubles, vice mayor Valery Shantsev told the press on Friday.

1:30 pm MSK

People bring flowers to Avtozavodskaya Metro Staton

Ever more flowers appear at the Avtozavodskaya metro station, in commemoration of those killed in the yesterday terrorist act, when a train car exploded.
People bring roses and carnations to the platform; flowers also lie on the parapet at the exit from the station to town. Police officers are on duty at the station and on the street near entrances to it. There are no other changes in comparison with ordinary days.

The metro explosion took place Friday at about 8:30 a.m. between the Avtozavodskaya and Paveletskaya stations. The blast epicenter was near the first left door of the second car. 39 people were killed, 113 hospitalized.

Today investigators will continue to study the circumstances of the explosion and analyze material evidence.

A source close to the investigation said the results of research conducted yesterday on the site of the tragedy might be passed today to the criminalist laboratory to specify the type of explosive.

"Having studied the nature of train damage, criminalists will be able to make a conclusion about the type of explosive and determine the substance. The power of the explosive device will also be specified," said the source. In his words, analysis of the chemical composition of the explosive can answer the question about its origin. Besides, the study results will make it possible to say whether that was a deliberate or an accidental explosion.

1:53 pm MSK

On Saturday Moscow Metro is patrolled by the police and Interior Troops detachments

There are police patrols with dogs in some Metro Stations (Okhotny Ryad, Ploshad Revolyutsii, Teatralnaya Ploshad) and in the underground crossings adjusting them.

In addition, detachments of three Interior Troops soldiers are in some trains. Every soldier has a gas-mask. The police equipped with compact metal detectors, control exits and entrances to the Metro. Policemen stop some passengers and check their IDs and sometimes luggage. People of Caucasian appearance are stopped most of all.

In general, it is quiet in Moscow Metro. There are not many passengers because of weekend.

3:59 MSK

February 9 will be mourning day in Moscow

February 9 will be Mourning Day of the memory about the victims of the act of terrorism in Moscow Metro, capital city mayor Yuri Luzhkov told reporters Saturday.

The explosion happened Friday at 8:30 pm MSK near Avtozavodskya Metro Station.

39 people died and 134 were wounded. Currently 105 victims are hospitalized.

4:50 MSK

 The terrorist who exploded a metro train car in Moscow had at least two accomplices, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov told a Saturday press conference. He said the explosion happened at the height of approx. 50 centimeters from the car floor.
"It means that the criminal had a case or a bag with an explosive in hand, and, most likely, blew up the explosive device himself," Luzhkov said.
In the mayor's opinion, the fact that the terrorist attack had been thoroughly planned speaks for the suggestion that the terrorist had accomplices.
The mayor believes the law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor's office and medical services of Moscow worked very promptly and in a well organized way.

5:30 pm MSK

Threat of exploding Tekstilshiki Metro Station: somebody’s joke?

Saturday afternoon unidentified person reported about the fuse in Tekstilshiki Station of Moscow Metro.
 
”The police officer received anonymous call at 2:45 pm, and after that the decision was made to evacuate all the passengers from Tekstilshiki station”, officer of Emergency Situations Main Administration reported to RIA-Novosti information agency.
 
Specialists are examining the station area. Meanwhile, trains continue going through it and passengers are allowed to exit the station, not to enter it.

The police are searching for the person who made a call. A teenager is suspected.

5:36 pm MSK

Several scenarios of Moscow Metro blast

Several versions of the blast that occurred in the Moscow metro on Friday morning, including a suicide bombing, have become available.

Experts have also prepared a composite image of a man who might have been involved in the blast.

"It is too early to speak about what was blown up, when it was done and by whom before the scene of the blast and the remains of the explosive device have been examined," a member of the group of experts working at the scene told Interfax.

"We are currently considering several versions, including the possibility that the explosive device was set off by a suicide bomber or that an explosive substance went off unplanned. There are indications that the explosive device was in a suitcase or bag," the expert said.

A Moscow metro video-camera recorded a woman suspected of being a suicide bomber and her alleged accomplice standing on a metro station platform carrying two suitcases, sources at the headquarters investigating the metro explosion told Interfax. Police are searching for a clean-shaven man aged 30-35 who appears to be a native of the Caucasus.

Experts are currently studying the scene and are gathering pieces of the explosive device, the expert said. Forensic experts are working on identifying people killed by the blast. The images recorded on the security cameras in the metro will also be analyzed.

One of the most probable versions is that the terrorist act was perpetrated by a suicide bomber, a source in the Main Interior Affairs Department of Moscow said.

"At this time, we have no information as to who it could be, a man or a woman," the source said.

Sources in the headquarters set up to investigate the disaster said, citing witnesses, that the explosion might have been perpetrated by a female suicide bomber.