A group of gunmen stormed the concert venue, Crocus City Hall, killing at least 60 people and injuring about 150, Russian media reported.
The first media reports about the shooting at the Crocus City Hall appeared around 8:30 local time on 22 March, initially it was reported that several people in camouflage burst into the concert hall’s parterre, opening fire on people waiting for the start of the musical group’s performance. The exact number of attackers has not been officially announced, but it was initially said that there were three, it was later learnt that there were five.
“Unidentified people in camouflage broke into Crocus City Hall and started shooting before the start of the concert,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said, cited by TASS.
Video footage taken at Crocus City Hall shows the huge complex, which houses a music hall and a shopping centre, engulfed in flames and smoke rising into the air. Video footage shows panic unfolding as crowds of people huddle together, screaming and hiding behind padded seats as gunshots begin to ring out in the huge hall; another group of people were forced to smash windows to escape the gunfire.
The attack caused the deaths of more than 60 people and injured about 150, but the number of victims could rise, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
The injured have been evacuated from the site, ambulances transported the wounded to 12 hospitals. 115 people have been hospitalised, five of them children, 60 adults and one child are in serious condition. Presently, doctors have completed the main emergency work and are engaged in stabilising the patients’ condition.
State news agency RIA Novosti reported that the gunmen “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire.” They then “allegedly fled in a white Renault car,” the news agency said.
A total of 477 people and 183 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire at the Crocus City Hall, the Moscow region’s State Department of Emergency Situations said. State media Russia 24 reported that the roof of the building had partially collapsed. More than six hours later, the fire was largely under control, Moscow’s governor said.
The Kremlin reported that Putin had been informed of the attack and was being briefed on measures at the site. The president on Saturday wished those injured in the attack a speedy recovery.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin called the attack a “terrible tragedy”:
“My condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I gave orders to provide all necessary assistance to everyone who suffered during the incident,” Sobyanin said in a statement, and added that he was cancelling all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend.
Earlier, the US embassy in Russia said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow,” including concerts. The embassy warned US citizens to avoid large gatherings. On Friday, following reports of the attack on Crocus City Hall, the embassy advised US citizens to refrain from travelling to Russia. The US voiced its support for the victims:
“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch, and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
According to sources, there have been reports since November that ISIS-K intends to carry out an attack in Russia. A US official said on Friday that Washington had no reason to doubt ISIL’s claim that it was responsible for the latest attack.
Ukraine, for its part, denied involvement in the attack: “Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late Friday condemned “in the strongest possible terms today’s terrorist attack” according to a statement released by his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
“The secretary-general conveys his deep condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the government of the Russian Federation. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery,” the statement said.
The European Union, including France, Germany, Italy, as well as India, Cuba, Afghanistan, Japan, Venezuela, Israel and the Palestinian Authority condemned the terrorist attack in Moscow and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. The representatives of the countries added that all the circumstances of the terrorist attack should be clarified as soon as possible.
President Xi Jinping sent his “condolences” to Russian President Vladimir Putin and “stressed that China opposes all form of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to safeguard its national security and stability.”
