Explosion Kills 1, Injures 17; Russia Suspects Chechens
A powerful explosion tore apart a train station in southern Russia on Monday, killing at least one person and injuring at least 17 in the second such blast in five days.
Russian officials said they suspected that Chechen separatists were behind the evening explosion at the station in Pyatigorsk, about 80 miles northwest of the breakaway Chechnya region. Chechen leaders denied the charges.
Two people were killed in a bomb blast at the Armavir train station in southern Russia on Wednesday.
President Boris N. Yeltsin said he was deeply concerned, and that relations with the separatist leaders of Chechnya would deteriorate sharply if a Chechen link was confirmed and they did not crack down on terrorist activity.
Chechen Vice President Vakha Arsanov blamed the attacks on Russian “special services,” implying they had an interest in causing problems in relations between Russia and Chechnya. Chechen separatists fought a nearly 21-month conflict with Russian troops over their demands for independence.
The explosion in a waiting room blew out windows and badly damaged the station in Pyatigorsk, a resort in the north Caucasus Mountains. The Emergencies Ministry said one person was killed and 17 were taken to hospitals. Others who were slightly hurt did not require treatment.
Federal Security Service spokesman Alexander Zdanovich told Russian television that two suspects were detained.
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