Dozens dead

Gunmen open fire in Moscow concert hall

The Moscow concert hall is in flames after an explosion.

(Bild: The Associated Press)

A bloody massacre took place in the Moscow region on Friday. Several armed attackers killed at least 40 people in an attack on a concert hall, according to the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB. Russia opened proceedings for a suspected act of terrorism. The jihadist militia IS has since claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group wrote on Telegram that IS fighters had "organized a large gathering ... on the outskirts of the Russian capital Moscow".

Here, the attackers storm the concert hall: 

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

Shooting indiscriminately into the crowd
Videos on social media show at least four attackers in combat gear in the Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk. They shot indiscriminately into the crowd with assault rifles. According to Russian media, the shooting lasted 15 to 20 minutes. According to the authorities, further explosions were reported after the shots and a fire in the hall.

Perpetrators apparently on the run
Special units of the Russian National Guard were deployed. A search is underway for the criminals, the forces announced in Moscow on Friday evening. People were also being taken to safety. Videos showed people running for their lives.

As "Bild" reported, the Russian rock band Picnic were preparing for their show on stage in the Crocus City Hall - but that never happened. Shortly before the concert began, the attackers opened fire. Automatic weapons and explosives are said to have been used.

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Fotos

Roof is said to have collapsed
The victims are said to be both employees and visitors to the concert hall. The Russian state news agency TASS published images of the huge fire that broke out in the hall. Blazing flames and a huge cloud of smoke could be seen on the famous building. The roof is said to have collapsed.

Difficult extinguishing work
According to the authorities, dozens of ambulances and many buses were deployed to bring people to safety. According to the Interfax news agency, the spread of the fire in the concert hall was stopped. However, the Russian Ministry of Civil Defense announced that the building, which also houses a concert hall with thousands of seats, is 13,000 square meters in flames. For the time being, it has not been possible to extinguish the fire. Fire-fighting helicopters were also deployed.

Musicians not injured
The sound of gunfire could be heard on videos. In addition to the dead, 146 people are said to have been injured. The musicians were not injured in the attack, according to the group's director, Yuri Chernyshevskyi.

The rock group Picnic dates back to Soviet times. The band still has many fans in Russia. Lead singer Edmund Shklyarsky has not commented publicly on the war in Ukraine. However, the group is on Ukraine's blacklist because of a performance on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

"Terrorist attack"
A Kremlin spokesperson called the attack a "terrorist attack". According to TASS, special units of the Russian National Guard were deployed. "All necessary measures" are being taken, Interfax quoted the service as saying. Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin addressed the public in a statement published by Russian state media. It speaks of "a terrible tragedy".