Scores killed or hurt in Russia train crash

[demoleft]

Source: bbc

Scores of people have been killed or injured in a train crash in Russia, reports say.

A major rescue effort was under way, as one official said 22 people had died and 55 were hurt.

Several carriages of the express train came off the tracks as it travelled from Moscow to St Petersburg, on one of Russia's busiest rail links.

Law enforcement sources said a small crater had been found at the scene, sparking speculation of a blast.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8383790.stm

[demoleft]

1. update: Russia train crash investigation examines bomb theory

The chief of state-owned railroad firm Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, said investigators believed Friday evening's crash was caused by an act of terrorism.

"To put it simply, a terrorist attack" was the main line of inquiry being pursued by experts investigating the derailment, Mr Yakunin said on state television from the scene.

Some passengers reported a loud bang occurring just before the derailment.

BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8383960.stm

[Canuckistanian]

2. Chechnyan terrorists?

If so, they're way out of their territory.

[demoleft]

3. update 2: it was a bomb. an activist in a rightist group blog...

...called "combat 18" claims the group to be responsible of the attack and announces more.

Investigators found "elements of an explosive device" at the scene, the Russia's federal investigative committee said in a statement.
A senior intelligence official said a bomb had derailed the locomotive.
Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia's domestic intelligence service told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that a bomb equivalent to seven kilos (15 lb) of TNT had been detonated, Reuters reported.
There was no immediate confirmed claim of responsibility for the attack.
this is bbc, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8383960.stm

Echo of Moscow radio reported that a hardline nationalist group calling itself Combat 18 had claimed the blast, but its source for that report was a blog entry from an anti-immigrant activist that could not be verified.
this is afp on france24:
http://www.france24.com/en/20091128-russian-train-nevsky-express-derailed-moscow-petersburg-terrorist-attack-bombing

[cowcommander]

4. Uh-oh, Putin won't like this

Russia doesn't fuck around, especially when Putin is pissed