Deadly Russia Train Derailment Was Terrorist Attack, Officials Say

Earlier we reported speculation that a Russian train derailment was an act of terrorism. That early speculation has now been confirmed by officials. A homemade chemical bomb planted on the tracks resulted in the derailment of a high-speed train in Russia carrying hundreds of people Saturday, killing at least 26 and injuring scores more.

The head of the Russian Federal Security Service told the country’s news agency Interfax that traces of explosives were found at the train crash site, including chemical residue from a homemade bomb.

Alexander Borotnikov was quoted by the Interfax and RIA Novosti news as saying that an improvised explosive device equivalent to 15 pounds of TNT had detonated when the express train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg passed over it Friday night about 9:30 p.m.

“There is little doubt this is terrorism,” a source in Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s office told Fox News. Who was responsible for the derailment or why it occurred “remains unclear,” the source said.

A second explosive device partially detonated Saturday during the clear-up operation near the disaster site, according to the head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin.

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