A salesgirl who was close to the site on the fatal instant has made an extensive statement. Police and Federal Security Service forensic experts are examining a horribly mutilated female body-presumably, the suicide terrorist's-in the mortuary. The woman will be identified as soon as her scull is reconstructed and the restored face photographed, expects Mr. Yudin. The experts cannot now say for sure whether she got the fuse going with her own hand, he added.
Only one body, most probably, the suicide's, was maimed beyond recognition, said the prosecutor.
On preliminary estimations, the blast was 1.5 to 2 kilograms, in TNT equivalent. The splinters and remnants of explosive collected on the site will be put to thorough chemical and pyrotechnic tests, later on.
The city prosecutor's experts discern a close similarity of the Rizhskaya blast and a recent bus stop blast in Kashira Highway, Moscow, and are checking their assumption. There are no reasons for now to pool the two cases in one file. Besides, bus stop blast detection was passed to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, a few days ago, Vladimir Yudin went on.
Detection on the Rizhskaya site finished early this afternoon. There is no more material evidence to collect. Regrettably, all video cameras in the metro station and the Krestovsky department store nearby focused in the opposite direction-on Peace Avenue, one of Moscow's principal thoroughfares, so there are no blast footages.
The municipal prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings on the Criminal Code, Clause 205, Item 3, terrorism; and Clause 105, Item 2, murder of two or more persons. The office banditry and homicide squad is detecting.
All blast victims will be identified today or tomorrow, at the latest, said Vladimir Yudin.
Seven died on the spot, the presumed terrorist among them, and two later in hospital. 46 injured patients were taken to hospital, and 38 of them left there-34 adults and four children. Sixteen patients are at death's door. The grim statistics will change, warned the prosecutor.
