An Indian national, travelling in a Russian train that derailed in a terrorist attack is "safe and sound," an official said today, even as authorities blamed a former army officer linked to slain Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev for the blast that killed 26 people.
"The Indian national Rajesh is safe and sound in St Petersburg, and the consular officials have talked to him on phone. He is a private citizen travelling to Russia from abroad," press officer of the Indian embassy said.
Rajesh R, an Indian national was travelling in bogie number 10 of the super-fast Neva Express on Friday night when a bomb went off on the tracks detaching and derailing its last three bogies numbered 2, 3 and 4.
Twenty-six people, including two top federal officials were killed and 96 injured when the elite Nevsky Express carrying hundreds of passengers from Moscow to St Petersburg derailed due to a terrorist attack, a security official said.
Authorities today released the sketch of a suspect, who is reported to have planted at least two improvised explosive devices (IED).
A former army officer Pavel Kosolapov, who has reportedly embraced Islam and was a close associate of the slain Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, is said to be behind the blast.
The second IED went off hours later on Saturday, when probe officials were examining the accident site.
It had a low yield as water is reported to have flooded it and dampened the explosive material.
The fate of Rajesh R was not immediately known after the accident. His name was also not included in the list of injured and hospitalised people immediately.
The train has 14 coaches, including a dining car. The bogie in which Rajesh was travelling was close to the engine.
The injured, including an Italian and Belgian were hospitalised, the official said.
Kosolapov, said to be the brain behind Moscow metro's deadly blast in February 2004 and a similar attack on Neva Express on August 13, 2007, is on the wanted list, state-run Vesti FM radio said.
Comments