What Were the Worst Subway Attacks in History?

image of new york subway train.
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Monday's twin suicide bombing attacks in two of Moscow's busy subway stations mark the latest in a history of deadly subway attacks around the world. The large number of people in one enclosed place can make these types of terrorist attacks particularly catastrophic. Here are some of the worst subway attacks in history: Moscow – March 29, 2010 Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up during the morning's rush-hour commute, killing at least 37 people and wounding 65 more. The explosions, which took place at the Lubyanka station in Central Moscow and the Park Kultury station, were the Russian capital's first subway terrorist attacks since the last confirmed attacks in 2004. Russian officials are blaming Monday's attack on rebels from the Caucasus region at the border of Europe and Asia.  London – July 7, 2005 In what is considered London's worst terrorist attack, the city's public transportation system suffered a series of coordinated suicide attacks. That morning, three bombers detonated themselves in three of London's Underground trains, before a fourth explosion occurred on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square an hour later. The attacks were carried out by four British Muslim men, who were motivated by their opposition to England's involvement in the Iraq War. The attacks killed 52 people and resulted in injuries to approximately 700 other victims.

Madrid – March 11, 2004 A series of coordinated attacks on Madrid's commuter train system killed 191 people and wounded 1,800. During the morning attacks, 10 explosions took place onboard four commuter trains. The Spanish Judiciary launched an official investigation and determined the attacks had been carried out by an al Qaeda-inspired terrorist cell, and in 2007, Moroccan national Jamal Zougam was found guilty of carrying out the attack.

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Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.