The federal authorities, namely Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, firmly supported the version according to which it was a banal explosion of domestic gas due to improper handling of the city network.
Goal: to compromise Luzhkov in the eyes of the national electorate, calling into question his competence as an administrator.
In turn, the mayor attributed this tragedy to a terrorist act related to the war in Dagestan...
The power of the explosion was recognized as equivalent to 162 kg of TNT.
According to specialists, domestic gas could not reach such force.
Danger of Acts of Revenge
Surviving victims did not feel the characteristic smell of gas either before or after.
Some anonymous experts also pointed out to the press that the ruins of the house bear traces of explosives...
Moreover, it is impossible to deny that the federal authorities knew that the war in Dagestan puts the residents of the Russian capital at risk of acts of revenge.
Anonymous terrorism: [in Russia, terrorists prefer to remain anonymous]
14.09.99. Psychosis: Islamic grip on the Kremlin
Second attack in 5 days in Moscow of Caucasian origin? (AFP)
The 8-story building, where about 120 people lived, was wiped off the face of the earth around 5 a.m. local time by a bomb equivalent to 200 kg of TNT, according to the police.
"We are talking about a new terrorist attack," reported A. Zdanovich.
Responsible persons in the police, quoted by the Interfax agency, gave their assessment that the explosion was connected with the conflict in Dagestan.
17.09.99. Car bomb in Volgodonsk (AFP)
"A bomb explosion near a residential building in Volgodonsk, in southwestern Russia, caused 17 deaths, including two children, and 25 seriously injured, according to the preliminary balance of the local emergency committee, reports the Interfax agency.
In total, 45 people were injured during the explosion.
A truck parked in front of the entrance of an 8-story residential building exploded on Thursday shortly before 6 a.m. local time, destroying part of the facade and damaging neighboring structures, including the local police station.
About 150 rescuers worked on Thursday morning at the site to dig out the bodies of buried people and limit the fire that had started.
All approaches to the 200,000-strong city were blocked and rare witnesses were questioned.
"This house was thoroughly searched as part of the anti-terrorist operation 'Tornado'" (launched across the country a few days ago).
"We checked the basement and the attic. Perhaps the reason is that the terrorists planted explosives in the truck in front of the house," the authorities indicated.
Russian special services, for their part, stated on Thursday that they had timely prevented many terrorist attacks that were supposed to take place in Moscow.
The police found many time bombs in the Russian capital over these last few days, set for exact dates up to September 21, specified FSB (ex-KGB) press secretary Alexander Zdanovich.
Commenting on the explosion on Thursday, Zdanovich stated that it was a terrorist attack.
"All these explosions across Russia are links in one chain," he stated.
"We are facing international terrorists who have a precise plan," he added.
The first four attacks were claimed by the mysterious "Army for the Liberation of Dagestan," apparently linked to Islamic extremists.
Police records and searches of buildings, which are multiplying across the entire Russian territory over several days, allowed for the arrest of 27 suspects in Moscow.