Many killed in Moscow festival blasts

[Gość: VLADIMIR]

Many killed in Moscow festival blasts


One of the bombers is believed to have died
At least 18 people have been killed in a series of bomb attacks at a rock
concert in Moscow.
Police sources suggest that two female suicide bombers may have been
responsible.

Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov blamed the attacks on Chechen separatists,
saying a Chechen passport had been found on one of the bombers.

But a Chechen envoy, Salambek Maigov, told a Russian radio station that the
leadership of his homeland was not involved.

The festival at the Tushino airfield in north-western Moscow was packed,
with a crowd reported at 40,000 people, when the bombs went off.

The first blast happened when a woman reportedly detonated an explosive belt
as queues formed at the entrance at 1439 local time (10:52 GMT) on Saturday.

At first I thought it was a giant firecracker, then I realised it was an
explosion

Eyewitness
Police say she was killed outright along with one other person. Many others
were injured.

Fifteen minutes later there was a second explosion as another female bomber
blew herself up.

There were also reports of a third blast at a nearby marketplace but it is
unclear whether this was a bomber or remotely operated.

"At first I thought it was a giant firecracker, then I realised it was an
explosion," eyewitness Vadim Trushkin told the Associated Press news agency.

Another said that after the first blast police told spectators to leave by
the other gate - where the second bomb went off.

Terror fears

Rescue teams were flown in by helicopter.

The airfield was hosting the "Krylya" (Wings) festival - a popular summer
event for young music fans in Moscow.


The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow said no one had yet claimed
responsibility for this attack but connection with Chechnya would be high on
people's minds.

There have been heightened fears of attacks by Chechen militants since the
hostage siege at a Moscow theatre last year.

That resulted in the death of 129 hostages and 41 guerrillas, who had
included women armed with explosive belts, after Russian special forces used
noxious gas to disable the hostage-takers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the incident.

On Friday, Mr Putin ordered a local presidential election to be held in
Chechnya on 5 October.

"I presume that this inhumane situation, this terrorist act, is linked with
the staging of this event," Mr Gryzlov said.

However, the BBC's Russian affairs analyst Stephen Dalziel says there is
unlikely to be a direct link, given that an attack of this nature would need
considerable planning.