Breaking Report: Blasts in Moscow metro kill at least 35

[DearAbby]

MOSCOW - Moscow emergency officials and Russian news agencies say two explosions hit the Moscow subway system, killing at least 35 people.

Emergency Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said the dead in the first blast included 14 people who were in the train's second car where the blast occurred and another 11 people who were on the platform at the Lubyanka station in central Moscow.

The headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the Soviet-era KGB, is located just above the station.

State news agencies ITAR-Tass and RIA Novosti report a second explosion hit the Park Kultury station about 45 minutes later. There was no immediate word on casualties there.

The causes of the blasts were not immediately confirmed, but Russian prosecutors said they had launched a "terrorism probe"








http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36077879/ns/world_news-europe/

[aquart]

1. What time of day was it in Moscow?

[DearAbby]

4. 9:30 AM

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. Alerted. SPAM is not tolerated here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Story has been updated - "The first blast just before 8 a.m"

... "Another blast about 40 minutes later"

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. That would be the Lubyanka prison

which goes back to the times of the Tzars and has more than just a short history.

This is extremely symbolic

[DaveinJapan]

3. Could you elaborate?

Symbolic for whom, or better towards whom?

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The prison was opened by the Tzars, and was used

to torture more than just a few dissidents, mostly anarchists and communists.

After the Communist took over it became the HQ for the NKVD which used it for the same thing, and that was the place where the whole Gulag Archipielago was run from. Later the KGB used it to keep internal security HQ, as well as a more or less prison for VIPs.

The fact that the FSB is located at the Lubyanka is a signal by whoever wants to send a message to the Russian Government. We can attack you at the main HQ for your internal Security.

This is a terrorist attack and the list is not that obvious, though dime on the dollar that the Chechnya separatist movement will be blamed even if they do not claim this as one of their own. Watch for who says we did it... it will tell us a bit of who is who in the zoo.

[Turbineguy]

21. +1

Female suicide bombers.

[Maru Kitteh]

5. How incredibly sad. :-(

[Project Grudge]

7. hmmm.

"The headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the Soviet-era KGB, is located just above the station."

Somebody specifically set off explosives under the equivalent of our Pentagon? If so that's quite a target to pick.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Not the Pentagon

the Hoover FBI building...

[DearAbby]

10. Message sent....now who will take the credit?

I don't have a clue about Russian politics. Anyone have a clue?

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. If the Chechyna separatist movement takes credit

expect that war to get hotter, much hotter.

If this is another group, and there are several, it could be interesting.

I'm almost betting on Chechnya, but it could be easily an internal group of either extreme right or left nationalists. Oh and this is straight to the Prime Minster and the President of Russia.

[Selatius]

13. I figured Putin had killed most of the Chechen separatist leaders at this point.

The war lasted over ten years, but I wouldn't be surprised if splinter groups are still spoiling for a fight with Russia.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. That has not been over

not by a far cry... there was sort of live and let live attitude though.

[Overseas]

9. K&R . //nt

[DearAbby]

16. Washington Post is reporting

Reports: 37 dead from two explosions in Moscow metro station at rush hour

Second paragraph:
The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear, but early speculation focused on a return of terrorism to the Russian capital, with local media citing unnamed sources attributing the explosions to suicide bombers. If confirmed, it would be the deadliest and most sophisticated terrorist attack in the Russian capital in several years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032900007.html?hpid=topnews

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. BBC update

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8592190.stm

[DearAbby]

18. When will this violence end?

Such sad news, prayers for families & friends those lost.

[malaise]

20. Very sad

I'm watching live coverage on BBC