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35 killed in suicide attack at Moscow''s busiest airport

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Google Oneindia News

Vinay Shukla

Moscow, Jan 24 (PTI) A suspected suicide bombertriggered explosives at Moscow''s busiest international airporttoday killing at least 35 people and leaving 130 injured, inthe first major terror attack in less than a year.

"From the preliminary information we have, it was aterror attack," President Dmitry Medvedev told officials in atelevised briefing, shortly after cancelling his visit toDavos for the World Economic Forum meeting.

According to eyewitnesses quoted by Rossiya 24 newschannel, two blasts were heard in the international arrivalssector of the Domodedovo international airport, 40 kmssouth-east of city centre.

At least 35 people were killed and over 100 injured inthe attack at the airport, the report said.

RIA Novosti said there was at least one suicide bomberwith explosives with five kilo TNT equivalent. InvestigationCommittee spokesman Vladimir Markin said the power of theblast was between 5-10 kg equivalent of TNT.

The bomb went off at 1902 IST in the baggage claimarea of the international arrival sector, Itar-Tass quotedTatyana Morozova of the Russian investigation committee assaying. Interfax did not rule out that the explosives were ina suitcase.

TV images showed people covered in blood running forsafety amid chaos and thick smoke. The suicide bomber withmetal pieces filled explosive vest was in the thick crowd ofpeople receiving the arriving passengers, Russian media said.

Those at the airport said the terminal was packed tocapacity at the time of explosion. Airport employees brokedown the wall between the main airport and the arrival zone toallow passengers to escape from the scene of the destruction,it said. According to Business FM radio it was a suicideattack.

"According to preliminary information, the explosivedevice was set off by a suicide bomber in the internationaldepartures hall," the Interfax news agency quoted an unnamedsecurity source as saying.

Passengers from about 2 dozen international flightincluding from New York, Dubai, Asghabat, Cairo, London,Vienna, Munich, Hamburg, Tokyo and Istanbul were around thearea of the explosion that was not far from one of therestaurants.

Eyewitnesses said blood was splattered around andthe injured, many with severe wounds, were seen running forsafety. Domodedovo airport is Russia''s largest airhub in termsof passenger travel.

Medevedev ordered that security be increased at all ofthe country''s airports and transportation hubs after theincident.

Last March, the Russian capital''s underground subwaysystem was rocked by two female suicide bombers from Russia''srestive Dagestan region, who detonated their explosives onbusy metro system during rush hour, killing 40 people andinjuring more than 80. .

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