Second Russian attack kills 14; injures dozens more
Posted Dec 30, 2013 7:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Russian authorities believe a second explosion in Volgograd this morning, in as many days, is the work of the same organization.
The latest blast happened in the early morning rush hour after a male suicide bomber blew up a trolley-bus.
Doctors say at least 14 have been killed, 41 have been injured and 27 have been sent to hospital.
One official told RIA Novosti more than 600 people in the city of more than a million have volunteered to give blood to support victims.
Video and pictures from the scene illustrate just how intense the blast was and how far away it could be felt.
The front-end of the cab remains intact while the back of the bus has been blown apart.
Investigators could be seen for most of the morning sifting through the personal belongings that litter the street.
The first blast happened Sunday, after a female suicide bomber attacked the city’s train station killing at least 17 people.
A state of emergency has been declared in the city and troops have been sent to bolster security in the region.
Alina Averyasova awoke after hearing the explosion; she looked outside and described to R-T TV what she saw.
“I didn’t see any wounded people but I did see bodies, dead bodies lying on the ground near the trolley-bus and I saw bodies being carried away by people,” she says. “What can I say? It was very scary.”
“It was exactly rush hour, everyone was going to work or to school. There were lots of people and that’s also a busy spot located next to a market; there’s a lot of traffic always there and lots of people were waiting for buses,” she says.
This man was driving a co-worker home at the time of the blast.
“It was a very strong explosion, my whole family poured outside of the apartment, we saw debris, we saw bodies and there was a very strong smell,” he tells R-T TV. “Another driver asked me what’s happening and someone said there must be an explosion somewhere, we heard a cry way ahead.”
President Vladimir Putin has ordered their counter-terrorism agency to increase security nationwide.
Security concerns have started to surface given the Winter Olympics in Sochi are six weeks away.
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Professor Christopher Swift says Russian leaders should be worried.
“I think the Russian government has something to fear and that is the potential loss of face, the potential embarrassment to them if this terrorist syndicate is able to pull off one or more major terrorist events,” he says. “With these kind of operations, it’s not the size that matters but rather the willingness of the people executing the operation to target civilians.”
Condolences have started to pour in from several governments, including the Canadian government who has denounced the act.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada is discussing with Russia the special security arrangements to be in place at Olympic venues, airports and border crossings.
Russian authorities say they remain committed to fulfilling their pledge to make the Sochi Games the “safest Olympics in history.”
Olympic officials are still giving Russia their vote of confidence.
In a statement to Reuters, an IOC spokesperson says “our condolences go to all those affected by today’s bombing in Volgograd. At the Olympics, security is the responsibility of the local authorities, and we have no doubt that the Russian authorities will be up to the task.”
When asked about the security of Canadian athletes attending the Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee sent 660News this statement.
“The safety of our entire Canadian Olympic Team including our athletes, coaches, support staff and volunteers is always our main priority. The Canadian Olympic Committee works very closely with the RCMP, Sochi and Russian security agencies, medical and government partners in the months and years leading up to the Games to ensure the entire team remains safe throughout the Games. The COC strives to ensure that athletes feel safe and secure at all times so 100 per cent of their attention is focused on their sport and achieving podium success.”
No one has claimed responsibility for either bombing, but it comes a few months after Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov threatened new attacks against civilian targets in Russia.
Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, is 14 hours by car northeast of Sochi.
