Shooting and explosion reported inside concert hall in Moscow region
SMA NEWS – MOSCOW
According to Russian state media outlets TASS and RIA Novosti, a shooting incident took place inside the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the Moscow region, involving three armed individuals. The reports indicate there are casualties and injuries, though specific numbers have not been disclosed.
“Individuals wearing camouflage, at least three in number, entered the ground floor of Crocus City Hall and commenced firing with automatic weapons,” RIA Novosti conveyed on Friday, quoting a correspondent present at the location.
Furthermore, RIA Novosti reported that the assailants detonated a grenade or an incendiary device, causing a fire within the concert hall. Video footage from the scene showed a significant fire, with a large plume of black smoke rising from the building.
Firefighters managed to evacuate approximately 100 individuals from the venue, as reported by TASS. Efforts are ongoing to rescue people stranded on the roof, as per information from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.
The Moscow Region Ministry of Health, responding to the emergency, dispatched over 50 ambulance teams to Krasnogorsk, a town within the Moscow region, to offer medical assistance to those affected.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed his sorrow over the event, describing it as a “terrible tragedy.” “Today a terrible tragedy occurred in the Crocus City center. My condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I have issued orders to provide all necessary assistance to those impacted by the incident,” Sobyanin stated in his message.
