On Tuesday 31 August, a woman turned herself into a human bomb outside a busy Moscow subway station. Initial reports claim the blast killed at least ten people with more than 50 injured.
A militant Muslim website reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack in retribution for Russia’s war with rebels in Chechnya. This claim is yet to be verified.
The attack comes at a time when many of the world’s subway operators fear their vulnerability to terrorist type attacks. In Washington D.C., in the United States, the metro operator has begun a training programme for a select group of commuters to assist in the evacuation of trains and tunnels in the event of a terrorist attack or rail disaster.
Training is initially being given to riders who are members of community emergency response teams although it is expected that the programme could be extended to regular subway riders within a year according to reports. An animated guide is available on CD-ROM and on the operator’s website at www.wmata.com/riding/safety/evac.cfm
