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39 Killed in Suicide Blast

At least 39 people died yesterday when a suicide bomber brought terror to the Moscow Underground. Another 129 were injured, many seriously, when a blast ripped through a rush-hour train.

Suspicion immediately fell on the Black Widows, the notorious Chechen female bombers behind previous outrages in the Russian capital.

The explosion caused a wave of panic among Russians, who fear further attacks on the metro stations in the run-up to next month's presidential elections. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin is seen as public enemy number one by Chechen rebels for his miltary crackdown in their region. He vowed, after yesterday's blast, "Moscow does not hold negotiations with terrorists; it destroys them."

The second carriage of the train was ripped apart by the blast, which happened as it headed out of Aztozavodskaya station towards Paveletskaya in the heart of the city. The train continued into the tunnel before grinding to a halt engulfed in flames and smoke. For several terrifying minutes some of its doors failed to open, forcing passengers to smash windows to get out.

One survivor said, "There was a monumental blast. There was blood, and body parts everywhere." Another passenger sobbed as she revealed that the train was 'packed tight' with commuters, schoolchildren and students.

TV pictures showed the wreck of the carriage, with bloodied corpses and body parts strewn about.

Police believe the suicide bomber probably had the device hidden in a bag or a suitcase. It was said to contain 5.5kg of TNT.

Police and former KGB agents were last night searching for a man of Chechen appearance, accompanied by two women, who approached a metro employee shortly before the explosion. He told them, "You'll have a party on your hands," before disappearing into the crowd.