Friday evening, armed attackers stormed the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow region, unleashing a terror assault that has rattled the global community.
According to reports from Russian state media outlets like TASS and RIA Novosti, three gunmen launched a ruthless attack within the bustling venue, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties amidst pandemonium.
The situation escalated rapidly as explosives set off by the assailants ignited a ferocious blaze, engulfing the building in flames and casting a colossal plume of black smoke into the heavens, a terrifying scene captured on video.
Describing the ordeal, RIA Novosti’s correspondent on the ground reported, “People in camouflage, at least three, burst into the ground floor of the Crocus City Hall and opened fire with automatic weapons.” The trio then “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire” within the concert venue.
The blaze’s intensity and ensuing chaos posed significant challenges to evacuation and rescue efforts.
Emergency services sprang into action as around 100 individuals were saved from the inferno by firefighters, with ongoing endeavors to extricate those stranded on the roof, as per the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. Despite the swift response of rescuers, the toll of fatalities and injuries remains uncertain.
The Russian government swiftly denounced the attack as a “monstrous crime” and called upon the global community for condemnation and solidarity. In a bid to bolster public safety, Moscow authorities scrapped all mass gatherings and escalated security measures across vital transport hubs, including airports and train stations.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, stated, “There’s no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the shooting … We’re taking a look at it, but I would disabuse you at this early hour of any connection to Ukraine.”
“There are people in Moscow and in Russia that object to the way Mr. Putin is governing the country, but I don’t think we, at this early hour, can make a link between the shopping mall attack and political motivations. I think … we just need more time and we need to learn more information,” Kirby elaborated.
In a statement, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed, “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.”
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