The USA was first to offer condolences to Russia over the Neva Express train terror attack. The White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Washington grieves the loss of life and wishes the injured speedy recovery according to Radio Voice of Russia. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France followed offering support for the people and the government of Russia when dealing with the tragedy.

 

An explosive device equivalent to 7 kg of TNT caused Friday evening’s deadly derailment of a train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the Russian federal security chief said on Saturday. At least 26 people were killed when three carriages of the Nevsky Express came off the rails. The accident also left dozens more hospitalized and another 18 still missing. 1,5-m bomb crater was left at the scene.

 

The federal prosecutors in Russia had already opened a criminal case on charges of terrorism.

According to Vesti.Ru among the victims of the explosion was Boris Evstratikov who was the chairman of the Federal Reserve of Russia (Rosreserve). Also businessmen Sergei Tarasov CEO of company Rosavtodor, giant in road construction in Russia. The high profile of the victims may suggest different path for the investigation. No group has yet took responsibility for the bombing.


President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the law enforcement agencies to keep a watchful eye on the situation, warning against a foot-dragging on the investigation into the matter. Medvedev has ordered the payment of compensation to the families of those affected by the derailment. Health and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova said a one-time payment of up to 300,000 rubles per person killed would be paid out of the government's reserve fund. The injured will get 50,000 to 100,000 rubles, depending on the severity of their wounds.

Reuters reports that hundreds of rescue workers toiled for hours, cutting through the tangled steel of wrecked carriages to search for survivors. Railway officials said a second blast was detonated nearby on Saturday afternoon. No one was injured by the second bomb, the chief of Russia’s state railway operator, Vladimir Yakunin, said.


The Moscow-St. Petersburg line was bombed before in 2007 attack. In 2003 suicide bomb attack on a commuter train near the Republic of Chechnya killed 44.