At least 40 dead in attack on concert hall near Moscow
By Mariya Knight, Anna Chernoca and Darya Tarasova | CNN
At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 were injured after armed attackers opened fire inside a popular concert venue complex near Moscow, according to preliminary information from the Federal Security Service in Russia, state media TASS reported.
Meanwhile, Russia 24 reports the roof of the Crocus City Hall concert venue, where the attack unfolded, has partially collapsed.
[Original story, published at 3:13 p.m. ET]
Three armed men opened fire inside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow region, according to Russian state media agencies TASS and RIA Novosti.
There are believed to be dead and wounded, Russian state media reported, without specifying any numbers.
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 Russian state media TASS.
RIA Novosti reported the three men “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire” in the concert hall.
The music group Picnic was about to start performing when the shooting started, according to state media Russia 24.
Video footage showed panic as the attack unfolded, with crowds of people huddling together, screaming and ducking behind cushioned seats as gunshots started echoing in the vast hall.
A large plume of black smoke was seen billowing from the burning building, which appeared engulfed in flames, according to video footage from the scene.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.