Witnesses reported hearing loud explosions.

More than 60 people were killed in the terrorist attack on the evening of March 22 at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, a source in the Russian Investigative Committee told the state news agency TASS.

"Preliminary estimates indicate that the terrorist attack has killed more than 60 people. Unfortunately, the death toll may still rise," the source said.

Investigators, criminologists, and experts from the Russian Investigative Committee, along with operational units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service, are continuing their investigative work at the scene, the source added.

Initially, visitors on their way to Crocus City Hall, still far from the entrance, mistook the gunshots for noise from installation work there, one witness told TASS.

“First, we started hearing typical loud bangs, but we couldn’t have imagined it was gunfire. We thought something was falling, because the exhibits were being dismantled and it seemed like someone was dropping something large. Then, it became clear that there were gunshots,” witness Mikhail Semyonov told TASS.

One witness said he was about to sit down when he heard “many machine gun shots” and “lots of screaming.” “I immediately recognized it as automatic machine gun fire and understood that it was most likely the worst: a terrorist attack,” the man, identified as Alexei, told AFP.

Another spectator described a scene of panic as people frantically tried to escape. “A stampede started. Everyone ran to the escalators,” he told Reuters. “Everyone was screaming and running.”

World - Moscow terrorist attack: Witnesses recount loud explosions — Gunmen storm Crocus City Hall (left) and the fire is seen from the outside (right). Photo: Sky News

Unidentified gunmen armed with assault rifles opened fire. An explosion rocked the building, causing a fire. In addition to the fatalities, authorities said at least 145 people were injured and taken to hospital. Authorities are conducting a search operation at the scene.

In his first comments on the shooting, Russian President Vladimir Putin wished all those injured in the terrorist attack a speedy recovery.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, calling the attack a "major tragedy," said local authorities had canceled all cultural, sporting , and other public events in the capital for the next two days, and several other regions of Russia had done the same.

The state news agency RIA reported on March 23, citing a spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee, that it was too early to say anything about the whereabouts of the attackers.

World - Terrorist attack in Moscow: Witnesses recount loud explosions (Figure 2). — At least three emergency helicopters were dispatched to extinguish a fire that broke out in Crocus City, Moscow region, following a terrorist attack on the evening of March 22, 2024. Photo: TASS

A branch of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, has claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack. In a Telegram post, the group stated that its fighters subsequently escaped. A US official said Washington has intelligence confirming the IS claim.

Photographs showed Crocus engulfed in flames, while videos emerged showing at least four gunmen firing automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.

According to media reports, children were among the victims of the attack, in which the perpetrators also appear to have detonated explosives. At least two explosions occurred at the concert hall on the evening of March 22, news agencies reported.

At least three emergency helicopters were dispatched to extinguish the fire. Local media reported that part of the roof of the Crocus City shopping mall had collapsed.

Late into the evening, Russian authorities launched a large-scale manhunt for the gunmen involved in the attack, warning residents in Moscow and its suburbs to be on alert for any signs of the attackers. The Russian government did not immediately identify any suspects .

Minh Duc (According to TASS, The Guardian)

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