See the explosion
| PhotosOfficial: Suicide bomber kills 16 at Russian train station
updated 2:11 PM EST, Sun December 29, 2013
Police: Suicide bomber triggered blast
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: An unexploded grenade was found at the scene, Russian official says
- Russia authorities say preliminary information points to a female suicide bomber
- Video appears to show explosion inside the main doors to the station
- Bomber reportedly was approaching metal detector when attack occurred
The head of the
committee, Vladimir Markin, said 16 people had been killed and 34 people
were injured, including a 9-year-old girl.
The female suicide bomber
set off the device before she could pass through a metal detector,
Markin said, citing available information.
He said the bomber used the equivalent of 10 kilograms of TNT and included shrapnel.
Investigators also found an unexploded grenade.
Russian train station rocked by blast
Report: Female bomber behind blast
Video taken from an
outside security camera shows a huge fireball inside what appears to be
the main entrance of the three-story stone building followed by a steady
trail of smoke coming out shattered windows.
The bombing occurred at about 12:45 p.m. local time (3:45 a.m. ET), officials said.
President Vladimir Putin
posted a message on the Kremlin's website sending his condolences to the
family of those killed and wishing a quick recovery to those hurt.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered the emergency and health ministries to provide "all necessary assistance" to the wounded.
Russian news agency RIa Novosti reported that the regional governor said at least half of the wounded are in critical condition.
It is the second bombing
in the southern Russian city in two months and comes less than six
weeks ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, located less than 1,000
kilometers (620 miles) from Volgograd.
See moment of train station blast
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"There can be no
justification for such barbarous attacks." said NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "NATO and Russia stand together in the fight
against terrorism., including by working together on technology to
prevent attacks on public transport systems."
A White House spokeswoman said, "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families."
In October, a bomber blew up a passenger bus,
killing six people and wounding more than 30 others. Russian media
reported that a female Islamist suicide bomber from the Russian region
of Dagestan was responsible for the attack.
Volgograd, once called
Stalingrad, is a major rail hub in the region, and each day thousands of
passengers pass through the station, many on their way to Moscow. The
station likely was packed with holiday travelers.
The restive region of Chechnya is also located in this southern portion of Russia.
CNN's Diana Magnay and Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva contributed to this report.
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