A female suicide bomber set off an explosion outside the National Hotel across from Moscow's Red Square yesterday, killing five people and herself, wounding at least 13 and sparking fears of a new wave of terrorist attacks in the heart of the Russian capital.

　　The ITAR-Tass news agency reported that an undetonated explosive had been found on the bomber's body. Police were searching for a thin woman dressed in a dark fur coat who was suspected of involvement in the attack, said Moscow police spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev, who also said that the female attacker's bomb contained about 1 kilogram of TNT, according to a preliminary investigation.

　　Lu Yuan, a 23-year-old Chinese citizen, was among the injured, the Interfax news agency reported.

　　Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told the Interfax news agency that there was at least one and possibly two female bombers and that they had asked a passer-by the way to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

　　"Evidently, the bomb went off by accident," he told Interfax. "The National Hotel was not the placeswheresthe suicide bombers had planned to stage the explosion."

　　The attack occurred shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed regional leaders at a Kremlin meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the nation's constitution, which will be celebrated on Friday.

　　"(The constitution) is a foundation for the development of a free market economy, democracy, and the development of the nation as a whole and the preservation of its territorial integrity. The actions of criminals, terrorists, which we have to confront even today, are aimed against all that," Putin said.The blast occurred near a Mercedes sedan that was parked on the sidewalk. Bodies and body parts were strewn about, including a head and a headless female body. Nearby was a black briefcase that authorities thought might contain more explosives, Interfax said.

　　Interfax, citing a law enforcement source, said that identification papers for a woman named Inga Gezoyeva - an Islamic-sounding name - had been found on one of the dead bodies, and that they indicated she had been born in Chechnya. Police later said Gezoyeva was not considered a suspect, Interfax said.

　　The blast occurred outside the National Hotel, which sits on a usually crowded corner across a square from a gate leadingsintosRed Square and the Kremlin. The State Duma is located nearby. Elections to the Duma took place on Sunday.

　　Russians have been jittery about terrorist acts following a yearslong series of explosions in Moscow and southern Russia blamed on Chechen rebels.

　　Forty-four people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a train in southern Russia last week.