A woman injured in the Moscow terror attack being transported to an ambulance by emergency services. Photo: Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev.
A terrorist attack in a concert venue in Moscow, Russia claimed at least 143 lives while more than 100 people were injured.
At least three men in camouflage opened fire at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow on Friday, March 22. The gunmen also sprayed a flammable liquid causing a fire in the concert hall, which was packed with people attending a rock concert.
Russian authorities have warned that the number of victims may rise.
How the attack started
Several people wearing camouflage clothing and armed with rifles stormed the venue on Friday evening, before the start of a concert. The shooting began simultaneously in the auditorium and in the foyer of the hall, where a crowd of concert attendees was gathered. The terrorists set fire to chairs in the auditorium, from where the flames spread throughout most of the venue.
The terrorists shot people at point-blank range.
https://twitter.com/Sepa_mass/status/1771239426951086157
The attackers also killed the security guards—who were unarmed—at the main entrance to the venue and blocked it before continuing their rampage inside.
More than 100 killed
According to the latest data from the Russian Investigative Committee, 143 people were killed in the attack, and the number of victims may rise.
Califican de ataque terrorista el tiroteo masivo en una sala de conciertos que se produjo este viernes en #MoscĂş pic.twitter.com/kz9gBDhBbq
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 22, 2024
Videos circulating on social media showed concertgoers fleeing from the site of the attack.
VĂctimas del atentado terrorista en MoscĂş huyen de la sala Croscus City Hall pic.twitter.com/lrWvYbwHkU
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 22, 2024
After the attack, 70 ambulances were sent to the site to evacuate the wounded.
Members of the musical group Piknik, at whose concert the shooting occurred, were not injured, the director of the show told the Sputnik media outlet.
11 detained for the terrorist attack
Eleven people, including four terrorists directly involved in the attack, were detained by Russian security services.
The Russian Investigative Committee reported that four suspected perpetrators of the attack were detained in Bryansk oblast, near the Ukrainian border. The terrorists attempted to flee to Ukraine and had contacts on the Ukrainian side, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
El Comité de Investigación de Rusia muestra imágenes desde el Crocus City Hall pic.twitter.com/WaR3jKI70N
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 23, 2024
Meanwhile, automatic weapons were found and seized in the concert hall. It was also established that the attackers used a flammable liquid to set fire to the premises.
Varios hombres abrieron fuego contra una multitud antes de un concierto en una gran sala de MoscĂş, Rusia, este 22 de marzo, dejando decenas de vĂctimas mortales y heridos. Tras el tiroteo, se declarĂł un incendio. pic.twitter.com/HFDXvKkCe8
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 23, 2024
Following the attack, ISIS claimed responsibility in a short statement released by Amaq, an ISIS-affiliated news agency, on Telegram, without providing any evidence.
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The venue was set ablaze
Shortly after the start of the attack, the perpetrators set the building on fire. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia classified the fire as a “major complexity.”
Incendio tras el tiroteo masivo en la sala de conciertos en MoscĂş
SegĂşn testigos presenciales el techo del edificio comenzĂł a derrumbarse#Moscow #Russia #crocuscityhall pic.twitter.com/ujYbk89ozp
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 22, 2024
The roof of the compound was completely engulfed in flames and has collapsed. Some people were evacuated directly from the roof.
Helicopters, more than 320 personnel, and more than 130 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish the fire.
Empieza a colapsar la fachada y el techo de la sala de conciertos donde se produjo un tiroteo este 22 de marzo en las afueras de MoscĂş. pic.twitter.com/BLIF1NEniq
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 22, 2024
Investigative Committee opens case on terrorist attack
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on the terrorist attack.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the shooting a “heinous crime,” stressing that it was “a bloody terrorist attack taking place before the eyes of all humanity.”
⚡ Nuevas imágenes de los primeros minutos del atentado terrorista en Moscú este 22 de marzo pic.twitter.com/ULhc16HIRm
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) March 22, 2024
Russia’s key security agencies have kept President Vladimir Putin informed about the development of the investigation and everything concerning the terrorist attack. The Russian president thanked all the medical personnel attending to the victims of the terrorist attack, and wished speedy recovery of all the injured.
Reactions from abroad
Institutions and politicians from various parts of the world have expressed their condolences for the attack. The governments of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Iran, China, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Colombia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others, have expressed their sincere condolences and condemned the tragedy. The European Union also condemned the attack.
The United States also condemned the terrorist attack, with White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby stating that the images of the scene “are horrifying and hard to watch.”
Earlier this month, the US government issued a warning to US citizens in Russia, urging them to avoid public places and mass gatherings. The US embassy in Russia claimed that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow. Several other embassies followed suit, issuing similar alerts.
Kirby stressed that Washington had “no advanced knowledge” of Friday’s shooting.
The United Nations Security Council condemned the “heinous and cowardly” terrorist attack. The members of the Council expressed their “deep condolences” to the families of the victims and to the Russian people, and wished a full and speedy recovery for the wounded.
(RT) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF
