23-3-2024 (MOSCOW) A night of music and revelry descended into unimaginable horror as gunmen unleashed a devastating attack on a crowded concert hall in the northern suburbs of Moscow. The harrowing incident, which authorities have classified as a terrorist act, left at least 40 people dead and over 100 others injured, casting a pall of grief and shock over the Russian capital.
Eyewitness accounts paint a chilling picture of the events that unfolded at the Crocus City concert hall in Krasnogorsk. Attackers dressed in camouflage uniforms stormed the venue, opening fire indiscriminately and hurling a grenade or incendiary device, according to a journalist from the RIA Novosti news agency who was present at the scene.
Fire quickly engulfed the concert hall, filling the building with thick, choking smoke as panicked visitors scrambled towards emergency exits. Alexei, a music producer who was about to take his seat for a rock concert, recounted the terrifying moments: “I heard several machine gun bursts and a lot of screams. I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it’s the worst – a terrorist attack.”
As concertgoers desperately sought safety, a harrowing scene unfolded. “There was a terrible crush,” Alexei, who withheld his last name, explained. “People were climbing on one another’s heads to get out.”
Just now Putin said : those who involved in terrorist attack at Moscow will pay the heavy price…#Moscow #Russia #Russian #ISIS
pic.twitter.com/PGKzI5DRDQ— Avneeh???? (@girl_mystery001) March 23, 2024
Russia’s FSB security service confirmed the grim toll, with at least 40 people killed and more than 100 others injured, according to Russian media reports. President Vladimir Putin was said to be receiving “constant” updates on the unfolding crisis, as his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated that a “terrorist” investigation had been initiated.
The Islamic State group swiftly claimed responsibility for the attack, asserting that its fighters had targeted “a large gathering” on the outskirts of Moscow before “retreating to their bases safely.”
Harrowing footage and eyewitness accounts emerged, depicting the chaos and devastation wrought by the attackers. Telegram news channels Baza and Mash, known for their close ties to security forces, shared videos of flames and black smoke billowing from the concert hall. Other images showed two men walking through the venue, with at least one person lying motionless near the entrance, while concertgoers were seen either hiding behind seats or frantically attempting to escape.
White House disclosed that Ukraine was not involved in the terrorist attack on Moscow. pic.twitter.com/7EvevtiH60
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Security services quoted by Interfax news agency reported that between two and five individuals “wearing tactical uniforms and carrying automatic weapons” had opened fire on guards at the entrance before turning their weapons on the audience.
“People who were in the hall were led on the ground to protect themselves from the shooting for 15 or 20 minutes,” the RIA Novosti journalist was quoted as saying, underscoring the sheer terror that gripped the venue.
As the tragedy unfolded, heartbroken relatives of those attending the concert gathered outside the burning building, frantically trying to contact loved ones and grappling with a sense of hopelessness. Semyon, 33, whose wife was among the concertgoers, expressed his anguish: “Nobody knows where she is. I’ve called five hospitals, all busy. I’m in a complete panic, my whole body hurts.”
The international community has been swift in its condemnation of the attack, with Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, describing it as a “bloody terrorist attack” that “the whole international community must condemn.”
