MOSCOW – An explosion ripped through the international arrivals hall at Moscow's busiest airport on Monday, killing 31 people and wounding about 130, officials said. The Russian president called it a terror attack.
The state RIA Novosti news agency, citing law enforcement sources, said the mid-afternoon explosion at Domodedovo Airport may have been caused by a suicide bomber.
Amateur video posted on YouTube showed the terminal engulfed by smoke, with a pile of bodies in one section and other bodies scattered around the floor. Luggage lay strewn across the ground and there were several small fires. A dazed man in a suit pushed a baggage cart through the carnage.
"From the preliminary information we have, it was a terror attack," President Dmitry Medvedev told officials in a televised briefing.
He ordered authorities to beef up security at Moscow's two other commercial airports and other key transport facilities, including the subway system, the target of past terror attacks. He said the explosion demonstrated that security regulations had been breached.
Medvedev postponed his planned Tuesday departure for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he was to give the opening address on Wednesday.
Although there have been repeated attacks on the Moscow subway and on Russian trains — most blamed on Chechen militants — the bombing Monday was the first involving a Russian airport since 2004.
Sergei Lavochkin, who was waiting in the arrivals hall for a friend to arrive from Cuba, said he saw emergency teams carrying bloodied people out of the terminal.
"I heard a loud bang, saw plastic panels falling down from the ceiling and heard people screaming. Then people started running away," Lavochkin told Rossiya 24 television.
Mark Green, a British Airways passenger who had just arrived at the airport, told BBC television he heard the huge explosion as he left the terminal.
"Literally, it shook you," he said. "As we were putting the bags in the car a lot of alarms ... were going off and people started flowing out of the terminal, some of whom were covered in blood."
"One gentleman had a pair of jeans on that was ripped and his thigh from his groin to his knee was covered in blood," he added.
Green said thousands of people were in the terminal at the time of the blast.
Sofia Malyavina, a spokeswoman for the Social Development and Health Ministry, said 31 people were killed and about 130 were wounded. She said 56 ambulances were sent to treat the victims.
"The airport is filled with smoke," she said on Rossiya 24.
Built in 1964, Domodedovo is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) southeast of the center of Moscow and is the largest of the three major airports that serve the Russian capital, serving over 22 million people last year. It is generally regarded as Moscow's most up-to-date airport, but its security procedures have been called into question.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Finally Home
We started our long journey home Thursday morning at 5:30am. Our departure was not until 10:15, but because of the weather and all the airport drama throughout the past few days, we had to allow plenty of time. Violetta, our translator, stayed with us to help with the check in process. Thank goodness for her. She was able to get us the bassinet seat for B, which we are very glad we had. We made it through security no problem and began out wait to head out. We worked hard to keep B awake the entire ride to the airport and while we waited to board the plane. We were delayed about 45 minutes and B finally fell asleep around 12:30. He slept for a couple hours and awoke ready to eat. This kid definitely likes to eat. There was a lot of up and down the aisles walking with B over the next 11 hours. He took another small nap later in the day, but that was it. The rest of the flight he was awake and on the move. We tried to let him crawl up and down the aisles some, but he kept getting side tracked and wanted to grab people's feet and blankets. He is not walking yet, so we had to hold him and pace. All in all the trip was not bad. He got a little fussy a couple times, but as long as we were moving or feeding him he was content. It was a lot better than we had anticipated. After our 12 hour 45 minute flight to Houston we then had to board another plane to Nashville. Luckily B slept this entire flight.
We exited the plane and changed B into his Titan's gear so that he would be ready to see the family. We rounded the corner to baggage claim and there was the clan ready and waiting. Our families and closest friends were there to greet us. There were signs and a huge banner with B's picture. It was absolutely fabulous!! Everyone took turns holding him and loving on him. He did so well. Needless to say there were flashes going off everywhere. B was so tired that he tapped out 5 minutes into the car ride home. We made it home around 9:30pm and he was asleep in his new bed by 10. I crashed right after that because I was completely drained and Scott soon followed. We were used to B sleeping at least 10 hours at night, but he was awake at 6:30 Friday morning. His schedule is definitely off.
He is such a great baby. He eats well and sleeps well. We made a trip to Target Friday and picked up a different bottle and he is finally drinking some formula. He had not had a bottle since Tuesday 12/21, when we picked him up. He has done extremely well the past 2 days. We are trying to get him used to 1 nap a day instead of 2, but this causes him to crash for the night around 6pm. He sleeps through the night waking once for a bottle then back to sleep until 5ish. I am missing the bedtime at 9 and not waking until8:30 days that he was giving us while in Russia. Hopefully his days will get a bit longer throughout the next couple of weeks.
I would like to put everyone's fears to rest about Camo. For those who were concerned about how he would handle B please know that they are already best buds. B follows Camo around tugging at his tail and ears and Camo follows B around licking his face over and over. Camo is such a great dog and we are so excited that B wasn't scared of him in the slightest.
We are truly blessed beyond words and look forward to the days ahead with our newly completed family.
God Bless, Scott and Mel
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