Gunmen Friday attacked a concert hall on the fringes of Moscow, killing at least 60 people and wounding 145 more, Russian security services say.
At least four attackers clad in camouflage gear took part in the attack, in the north-west suburb of Krasnogorsk, video shows.
It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the attackers after the raid, which state investigators were investigating as terrorism.
The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof, was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the raid a “huge tragedy.”
Crocus City Hall was about to host a rock concert when the gunmen burst into the foyer and then the theatre itself.
Much of the building was engulfed by fire and part of the roof collapsed.
According to an unverified statement online, militant group Islamic State said it was behind the attack.
US officials told the media that it had obtained intelligence that showed IS had wanted to attack Russia.
Russia’s National Guard said it had special units working at the scene to hunt down the attackers. Top Russian officials also headed to Krasnogorsk.
Two weeks ago, the US embassy put out a warning to US citizens to avoid large gatherings, saying it was monitoring reports that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow”. It updated its advice on Friday evening urging US citizens to avoid the vicinity of the attack.
The Kremlin said Putin was informed minutes after the assailants burst into Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow’s western edge that can accommodate 6,200 people.
The attack is being investigated as a terrorist act, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Video footage from the site of the attack, the Crocus City Hall concert venue, shows the vast complex, which is home to both the music hall and a shopping center, on fire with smoke billowing into the air. RIA Novosti reported the armed individuals “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire.”
State media Russia 24 reported the roof on the venue has partially collapsed.
The attack unfolded before the music group Picnic was set to preform, according to Russia 24. The band’s manager told state media that the performers were unharmed.
The Russia Prosecutor General’s Office said “Unidentified people in camouflage broke into Crocus City Hall and started shooting before the start of the concert,” according to TASS.
The Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb to the north-west of Moscow, is known to host several thousand people and has hosted top international artists.
Video on social media showed several armed men entering the lobby before they opened fire.
Up to 6,200 tickets had been sold for tonight’s gig, according to Russian media, but we don’t yet know exactly how many people were inside at the time of the attack.
Russian media outlets also reported that members of the band were not harmed during the shooting.
People have been filming on their phones from inside the concert hall and posting it on social media.
Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said everything was being done to save people. A SWAT team was called to the area and more than 70 ambulance teams and doctors were assisting victims.
Around 100 people were evacuated from the building by firefighters, TASS reported. Rescuers are still working to get people off the roof, according to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the attack a “terrible tragedy.”
“Today a terrible tragedy occurred in the Crocus City center. 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.
Sobyanin said on Telegram that he was canceling all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend.
By Agencies
