They're saying it's not terrorism. Horrific either way:

An explosion apparently caused by pyrotechnics tore through a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm early Saturday, killing more than 100 people, according to emergency officials quoted by state television... In the chaotic aftermath of the blast and subsequent fire, casualty figures differed. State television news channel Vesti cited the Investigative Committee, Russia's top investigative body, as saying the death toll was higher than 100. Reports citing other officials ranged from 86 to more than 90.

Chechen rebels might claim it anyway, depending on how conclusive the evidence of criminal neglect is. There's been a massive uptick in separatist violence, and Perm itself has seen calls from anti-Putin political leaders who want Russia out of Chechnya.

There was a suicide attack on a police station in August. November saw a spate of attacks on Russian forces in and around the Caucuses, culminating in the assassination of a special forces commander.

Then a few days ago there was a devastating train bombing that prompted crackdown threats from Putin and got the head of Russia's Orthodox Church involved - and was followed immediately by an attack on a cafe. Meanwhile other bombs targeting trains were found and defused.

The entire region has become a tinderbox. The conspiracy theorists will have a field day either way, but in this environment some of those accusations might go mainstream.

References and related after the jump...