Moscow Mourns Bombing Victims

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Moscow Mourns Bombing Victims

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Moscow canceled most of its entertainment activities Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist bombings which killed 13 rock-concert goers and injured scores of others in suburban Moscow last Saturday.

July 8 was declared a day of mourning for the victims of the terrorist attack, according to a decree signed by Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of the capital city of Russia.

Central streets of the city are decorated with Moscow and Russian flags, attached with mourning bands.

Local administrative authorities recommended that theaters, concert halls, and other cultural organizations cancel their amusing programs for Tuesday. Moscow City TV and radio channels also pledged not to broadcast entertainment programs on this special day.

The Moscow City Administration began its Monday session with a moment of silence in memory of those killed in the suicide bombings near Tushino airfield during an out-door rock concert last Saturday, Interfax reported Tuesday.

Following the moment of silence, Luzhkov condemned the terrorist attacks which claimed the lives and health of several dozens of innocent Russians.

Luzhkov approved of the action of not cutting short the rock festival, called Krylia or "Wings" in English, but gradually evacuating the audience while keeping the concert going on, as panic could have produced many more victims.

The mayor said the police on duty at Tushino had worked skillfully to prevent successfully the two female suicide bombers, who also lost their lives in the explosions, from entering the airfield and producing more casualties amid the crowd.

He believes that the city authorities did the right thing in not canceling other public events on Saturday, such as park celebrations and a beer festival, which attracted more than 80,000 people, said Luzhkov.

"In doing this, we have sent a clear, if not a direct, answer to the terrorists: they will not be able to intimidate or stop us,or damage the city's life. What they are doing to Muscovites and other Russians just makes no sense," Luzhkov was quoted as saying.

According to First Deputy Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, the suicide bombers were connected with Chechen illegal armed groups, the Itar-Tass news agency said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Monday the local government "to render moral and material assistance to the families of victims of the act of terrorism" and to help those who are confined in hospitals, Itar-Tass reported.

"We should do our utmost to help those people," the President said at the meeting with the cabinet members.

The mayor confirmed that the city authorities have decided to pay compensation to the victims' families and bear all the funeral expenses.

The families of the dead will receive 100,000 rubles (about 3,300 US dollars) each. Those who were hospitalized will receive 50,000 rubles (about 1,650 US dollars) each, and the wounded with out-patient medical assistance will get 3,000 rubles (about 100 US dollars) each.

The government will also pay 1,500 rubles (50 US dollars) each month to children who lost their parents in the explosion.

Compensations for the loss of property will amount to 10,000 rubles (about 330 US dollars).

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