Moscow Metro Bombings

March 29, 2010
On March 29, two coordinated suicide bombing attacks occurred at separate stations on the Moscow Metro. The first bombing occurred at the Lubyanka Station at 7:56am local time (3:56am UTC), when a woman onboard a train at the platform detonated explosives strapped to her body. The explosion killed fifteen people on board the train, and another eleven people on the platform. Within forty minutes of that explosion, a second bombing occurred at the Park Kultury Station, when a passenger onboard an arriving train detonated another explosive, killing another fourteen commuters. The timing of the attacks demonstrated intent by the attackers to maximize casualties by striking the Metro at the height of the morning commute. Forty people were killed, and at least 100 other people were injured. The citywide public transit system was brought to a standstill after the second explosion, and an estimated seven million passengers were impacted. Precautionary closures of other metro stations subsequently occurred throughout the country, causing widespread transit disruptions. The incident represented the most deadly attack in Moscow in six years. Within hours of the attack, government officials with the Federal Security Service (FSB) declared that the incident was a terrorist attack perpetrated by Chechen separatists.

Selected Updates

NC4 Incident Monitoring Center issued the following alerts:

• There are reports of an explosion and casualties in central Moscow’s Metro; no details available.  3/29/2010 00:20 EDT
  
  
• At least 20 people were reportedly killed in an explosion at Lubyanka station.
  3/29/2010 00:28 EDT
  

• Second explosion at Park Kultury station struck Moscow’s metro system; another 15 dead.
  3/29/2010 01:01 EDT
  

• At least 37 people are dead after two bombings on Moscow’s metro system.
  3/29/2010 03:53 EDT
  
  
• Reports indicate Chechen groups may be responsible for subway bombs.
  3/29/2010 07:17 EDT
  
  
• Investigation of Moscow Metro suicide bombings ongoing. Incident closed.
  3/29/2010 18:41 EDT
  

 

NC4 Coverage
NC4 provided an initial real-time alert through its External Situational Awareness (ESA) notification solution, nearly thirty minutes before local media. NC4’s Incident Monitoring Center (NIMC) actively monitored the incident for developments and produced nine updated alerts in the eighteen hours after the attack, providing the latest updates and media articles on casualty numbers, public transit disruptions, and government response measures, including heightened airport security and customs control.

One-page printable summary with graphics