Moscow airport blast kills 34; seen as terror attack

A suicide attacker, who detonated a bomb at Moscow's busiest airport that has killed 34 people, is being linked to a terrorist organisation.

The late afternoon blast also wounded 168 people, who were in the international arrivals area at Domodedovo airport. It is Russia's worst terrorist attack since twin bombings left 40 dead in the Moscow subway last March.

Interfax news agency,  quoting latest figures from the Emergency Situations Ministry, says, "By 8:00pm (Moscow time), the death toll is 34 people, 74 people are in hospitals and 94 others received outpatient assistance."

The agency also quoted law enforcement sources as saying the bomber was probably from southern Russia's restive North Caucasus region, which includes Chechnya and insurgent Islamists groups.

Latest headlines say the remains of the bomber ("an Arab looking man") have been recovered and that at least two foreigners, possibly including a UK citizen, are among the injured.

Reports say police are looking for three suspects thought to be linked to the attack. No person or group has claimed responsibility for the blast. Investigators also say they have CCTV footage of the actual moment of explosion.

Officials at Domodedovo, which has replaced Sheremetyevo as Moscow’s main international airport, said the bombing had not affected landings and takeoffs, though some international flights had been diverted to Moscow two other airports.

Moscow News reports police may have had a tip off about the terrorist attack but were unable to prevent three men from getting into the airport, helping an accomplice to blow himself up and leaving again.

An unofficial source told RIA Novosti that law enforcement officials knew there would be an attack on Monday afternoon at one of the city’s airports and that police had been on the trail of three suspects. But police were apparently unable to stop the trio getting into the airport.

Planes from London and Brussels, as well as Greece, Ukraine and Egypt, had landed in the 30 minutes preceding the attack. Investigators say two British citizens were among the dead.

Law enforcement officials said the power of the blast was equal to 5 kg of TNT and that the bomb was packed with metal objects to cause maximum damage. An RIA Novosti correspondent at the scene reported floors and staircases covered in blood.