2021 Yndyk train bombing
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 The remains of the affected train near Yndyk following the bombing | |
| Date | January 6, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | 17:40 |
| Location | Yndyk, Alsland |
| Type | Mass murder, time bombing, terrorism |
| Motive | Far right extremism |
| Target | Yndyk commuter rail service, Civilians |
| Deaths | 26 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 140 |
| Arrests | 5 |
The 2021 Yndyk train bombing, also referred to as 6/1 was a bombing on the Alsrail commuter service in Yndyk, on the evening of January 6 2021. The bombing killed 26 people and injured 140. The bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack in Alslandic history and the deadliest in Euclea since the 2016 Spalgleann bombings. On January 7, an official investigation was established into the attack and one man was subsequently arrested and charged with the attack. As of 29 April 2021, 5 people have been arrested in connection to the bombing including the bomber Richold Zuidema who was arrested the day after the bombing.
The bombing significantly affected ongoing coalition negotiations between the National Bloc and The Centre after connections were made between the terrorists and the National Rally party which had already signed an agreement with the National Bloc.
On January 13, The Centre formally ended all coalition negotiations with the National Bloc citing the bloc's refusal to expel the National Rally from the Coalition. Premier Lilliana Elliott offered her resignation to President Hepke Veltman on January 26, 2020 after a formal confidence and supply between the Progressive Alliance and The Centre was signed. Elliott's government was criticised for their reaction to the bombing and the delay for any action to be taken against the National Rally which later merged into the United Democratic Union.
The trials of the accused perpetrators in the attack is scheduled to begin in December, 2021.
Attacks
Nijenok
At 17:40, on January 6, 2021 a homemade bomb was detonated on an Eastbound line of the Yndyk Rail commuter service from Yndyk to Hurdegaryp. The bomb which had been placed in the train's second to last carriage caused a partial derailment of the train in the Nijenok neighbourhood. The train was full with evening commuters as the Nativity Holiday had ended the day earlier for many.
Witnesses onboard the train reported a loud bang and threw many who had not been seated off their feet before the train came to an emergency stop due to the derailment. Footage from social media shows smoke quickly filling the train during the evacuation. Residents in nearby houses were the first to raise the alarm and respond to the train which many thought had only derailed. At 17:47 the rail line was closed in the Nijenok area due to a 'technical fault' according to Alsrail. Emergency services arrived shortly after this.
Many passengers in the rear of the train closer to the bomb suffered burns after a fireball raced through two carriages. The derailment also injured many passengers who had been thrown off their feet as the rear of the train came to a rest on the embankment where many passengers were able to climb out of the train and head to.
Several Nijenok residents and passengers assisted with the evacuation with many praising the actions of those who had helped evacuate others from the train after the bombing. 2 nearby residents were injured attempting to rescue passengers from the debris.
By 18:00 the train had been fully evacuated of survivors and the injured with the exclusion of some survivors in the affected carriage who were rescued from 18:37 to 23:11. All Alsrail services were suspended nationwide by 18:32 out of fears the train had been purposely derailed. All stretches of track were searched and operations resumed the following day.
104 people were taken to hospital for injures, 2 would later die from their injuries sustained in the attack. At first it was reported that there were no casualties from the bombing but later it was reported that 'several people' had died. The full death toll was only revealed in an early morning press conference by Yndyk Metropolitan Police chief Sjouke Huizinga who informed the press that 20 people had died and 5 were missing. One of the missing was later found in a wooded area near Nijenok that night, the remaining 4 were all confirmed to have died in the explosion.
According to police investigations, the bomb was placed under a seat in the train by a passenger on an earlier service from Hurdegaryp to Yndyk. The bomb according to police, was made up of the triacetone triperoxide explosive (TATP).
Yndyk
At 03:11 police arrested Richold Zuidema near Yndyk Central Station on charges of terrorism. Police arrested several others in connection to the bombing although all were released and cleared of charges the following morning.
On January 7, the Department of Justice was evacuated after a suspicious object was found in the building's lobby triggering a security alert in every nearby government building. The object was removed from the building at 14:28 and the security alert was lifted. The object was later confirmed to have been a hoax unrelated to the bombing and no arrests have been made following this incident.
Victims
The 54 victims of the attack were all Alslandic citizens with many residing in Yndyk, Delland or Middewald. The ages of the victims ranged between 19 and 77.
Most of the victims were in the second to last carriage of the train, two of the victims had been in the rear carriage and one was in the carriage directly ahead of the affected carriage. Most were killed as a result of the bombing and 5 were discovered to have died from smoke inhalation or burns due to the subsequent fire onboard the destroyed train.
Two victims died in hospital in the following days after the attack.
Effects and response
Initial reports
Security alerts
Suspension of rail services
Rail services were allowed to continue briefly after the bombing and derailment as the original assumption by Alsrail was that the train had suffered a blackout. When reports that the train had suffered a derailment or an explosion were sent to Alsrail the decision to order all trains to stop at their nearest station was issued so rail lines could be checked. Shortly after the suspension of all Alsrail operated rail services, Euclostar services in Alsland were originally delayed before ultimately being cancelled.
Media response
Conspiracy theories
Immediately after the attacks, West Miersan police questioned four Lemovicians on suspicion that they were responsible for the attack, leading to speculation that Aranoak or another Lemovician terrorist group were responsible for the bombing. This theory was lent credence when Sylwester Wrzesiński said during the annual nativity speech that "we will cooperate [with Alsland] to ensure that terrorists will be brought to justice," with West Miersan Justice Minister Szymon Krynicki subsequently expressing claims that "the Lemovician lobby has willingly paid off Alsland to cover up their involvement and to blame it on Richold Zuidema, so that they can pretend to be the innocents."
Several days after the arrest of Richold Zuidema and his links to the far-right National Rally, Maurillio D'Santis, an Etrurian radio host and member of parliament under the far-right Tribune Movement, claimed on his radio show that the bombing was a false flag, conducted by the Alslandic government. He said "its very convenient that within hours they arrest a man and immediately link him to the National Rally, a patriotic party. Think, this comes as the radical left is ascending across Euclea, they want to destroy parties that represent the patriots who know the truth. This is a plot to deny Eucleans a real alternative to the family, values and nation destroying globalist elite."
Investigation
Reactions
Domestic
As it became clear that the explosion was deliberate the government declared an immediate state of emergency. Flags were flown at half-mast from January 6 to January 10. On January 8, the Folkssenaat held a two minute silence for the victims of the attack. A large amount of flowers were left outside Yndyk Central Station and a large vigil was held for the victims on January 14.
Lilliana Elliott called for the nation to come together in the aftermath of the terrorist attack and announced an immediate public inquiry into the attack. Rudolf Nijdam, the Minister-President of Middewald where a plurality of the victims were from said the attack was a cowardly strike at innocent people. Nijdam led memorial services in Middewald alongside Premier Elliott and other politicians.
In response to several popularised conspiracy theories Sjouke Huizinga and other federal officials denounced the false claims. Victims of the families and survivors also threatened legal action against several domestic and foreign officials who had promoted conspiracy theories regarding the attack.
The terrorist alert level was raised to severe following the Train bombing and security alert in the Government district.
International
Reactions from foreign governments and organisations immediately following the bombings, these sympathies were led by other Euclean Community member states and neighbouring states of Alsland.