Originally published on December 30, 2013
At least 17 people were killed, including the bomber, when a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside Volgograd train station on Sunday (December 29). According to authorities, the female attacker detonated a shrapnel-filled bomb in front of a metal detector just inside the main station.
Television footage captured the moment of the blast, with a giant orange fireball filling the hall of the station, followed by clouds of smoke pouring out of the front gate and broken windows. The station was busier than usual as many people were traveling for the holidays.
The Federal Investigative Committee and other officials said the attacker became nervous and detonated the device after a police officer started to approach her near the metal detector. An investigation revealed that the bomb consisted of roughly 10 kg of TNT and shrapnel.
Reuters reports that, "Islamist militants in the North Caucasus have carried out a long string of attacks since President Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000. They now confront him with his biggest security challenge, threatening to disrupt the Olympics that start in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in 40 days.
"The attack, just over two months after a female suicide bomber killed six people on a bus in the same city, raised questions about the effectiveness of security measures which the Kremlin routinely orders increased after bombings.
"It could add to concerns about the government's ability to safeguard the Sochi Olympics, which open on Feb. 7. Putin has staked much of his prestige on staging safe and successful Games, a chance to show how far Russia has come since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991."
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