Russian President Dmitry Medvedev blamed major security violations for the deadly blast at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport that killed at least 35 and injured up to 180.
"Information from the crime scene indicates that there was just chaos; people could enter [the airport] from anywhere. Control was limited and was practically not directed at those who were meeting passengers," Medvedev said.
The president said the airport had "system failures in ensuring people's security and managing the transport hub" and called for effective methods of screening passengers and luggage to be provided to improve airport security.
In December, the Domodedovo Airport, Moscow's busiest, was the site of a transport collapse following serious power outages in the Moscow Region caused by severe freezing rain.
The airport's director Vyacheslav Nekrasov, who was criticized for failing to deal with passengers during mass flight delays, was dismissed and succeeded by
Igor Borisov, the former head of the Domodedovo Passenger Service.
In August 2004, two planes which took off from the airport were blown up by female Chechen suicide bombers, who bribed their way through security checks to get onboard. A total of 90 people were killed in the simultaneous mid-air explosions.
"The series of events at one site makes one think about the critical lapses in the airport's work," Medvedev said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Medvedev said Domodedovo Airport security officials will be held accountable for "clear security breaches," as the terrorists entered the airport unchecked.
Medvedev instructed the government to implement thorough checks of passengers at major transportation facilities in the wake of the deadly Domodedovo bomb attack.
MOSCOW, January 25 (RIA Novosti)
