February 6, 2004 in the Moscow metro, between the stations "Paveletskaya" and "Avtozavodskaya", there was a terrorist attack with a large number of victims and wounded. Several years have passed since that memorable day, but people have not forgotten about the tragedy, and on this day streams of mourners flock to the Avtozavodskaya metro station, laying flowers in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack.
Explosion in a subway tunnel
In the morning, at 8:32, the subway train, as usual, was completely filled with passengers hurrying to work and study. This time is called "rush hour". Often terrorists carry out attacks at this very hour, and they choose the busiest places, because this is the only way to have the maximum number of victims. The train managed to drive off only 300 meters from the Avtozavodskaya station, when an explosion of great destructive force sounded in the second car. Immediately after the explosion, a strong fire began, the fifth degree of complexity.
The second car, engulfed in flames, was severely mutilated. The third car was crushed by an explosive wave, which, having hit the walls of the tunnel, squeezed it with a ricochet. From the blast wave, crumbling into small fragments, all the glass flew out in the cars located close to the explosion site. The right windshield in the driver's cab was shattered. The second car was a terrible sight: a mess of the bodies of dead people, a fire devouring everything around, and it was impossible to get out of the car, and, in general, there was no one.
The scale of the attack confirms the number of dead - 41 people, if not taking into account the suicide bomber, and 250 injured to varying degrees. These figures will increase with the memory of families who have lost their loved ones because their grief is irreparable. At the station "Avtozavodskaya" there is a memorial plaque with a list of victims of the terrorist attack, and at its foot - a flowerpot. There are always fresh bouquets in the vase. Every year, on the day of remembrance of the tragedy, people come to honor the dead by laying flowers and lighting candles.
The terrorist attack on Avtozavodskaya rallied the Russians, filling them with a sense of compassion and justified anger towards the terrorists. The country also recognized its heroes who live among us. People who know how to take responsibility at a decisive moment, to act skillfully and quickly in extreme conditions.
Rescue Driver
Machinist Vladimir Gorelov this morning drove the train in which the explosion occurred. He was not at a loss, acting quickly and professionally: he applied an emergencybraking and, using the speakerphone, asked the passengers not to panic. Then, having contacted the dispatcher, he informed him that a terrorist attack was taking place at Avtozavodskaya and asked him to turn off the high voltage so that people would not be injured during the evacuation. Further, he opened the doors of the train and began to take people out. The task was difficult: it was impossible to return to the Avtozavodskaya station, although it was nearby. With wounded people from the first carriage through a smoky tunnel, the driver led people to the Paveletskaya station (almost 2 km). The brave man was awarded the Order of Courage.
Heroes among us
The terrorist attack on Avtozavodskaya showed that courage is a hallmark of Russians. Another order "For Courage" was received by Colonel of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergey Kavunov. A professional in emergency situations, he quickly navigated the situation, organized the evacuation and stopped the trend of panic. People calmly began to leave the scene of the attack, helping each other. Many heroes received medals and badges of honor for their courage in such a difficult situation.
Efficiency of the rescue system
The terrorist attack on Avtozavodskaya showed how quickly the EMERCOM and ambulance services work. 20 minutes after the explosion, teams to help the victims arrived: fifteen crews of rescuers and firefighters, 60 ambulance teams, 5 groups of the Center for Emergency Medicine in Disasters, 3 teams of the Center for Disaster Medicine of the Ministry of He alth of the Russian Federation "Protection", 3 groups of psychologists.
The victims were taken to the N. V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, N. N. Priorov Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics and city hospitals.
Terrorists found and punished
Now everyone knows that the terrorist attack in the subway at Avtozavodskaya was carried out by the suicide bomber Anzor Izhaev, who at that time was only 21 years old. He entered the car at the Kantemirovskaya station, and when the electric train was leaving the Avtozavodskaya station in the direction of Paveletskaya, the terrorist set off an explosive device, blowing himself up and all the passengers in the car. Later, his accomplices were identified: an employee of the Ministry of Justice, Murat Shavaev, who organized the terrorist attack and delivered the components for the explosion, Maxim Ponaryin and Tambiy Khubiev, who were responsible for preparing explosives. They were all sentenced to life imprisonment on February 2, 2007.
The terrorist act at the Avtozavodskaya metro station became the impetus for a tough anti-terrorist policy in the state. Security measures were strengthened everywhere, video surveillance was installed on the territory of the subway and even in electric train cars.
February 9, 2004 was declared a day of mourning. The terrorist attack on "Avtozavodskaya", 10 years since which was celebrated in the winter of 2014, people will never forget. The pain of losing loved ones, of course, will not subside, and the victims will always remember those who helped them. Terrorists are punished. But I would like to hope that the universal dream of living in a safe world full of love and compassion will come true.
