The death toll resulting from the devastating assault on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall has tragically climbed to 133, according to reports from Al Jazeera, referencing official sources.
The attack, which took place during a crowded concert featuring the renowned Soviet-era rock band Picnic, left over a hundred more individuals with varying degrees of injuries.
The assailants, armed with guns, stormed into the venue on Friday, indiscriminately firing upon unsuspecting concert-goers who were settling in for the event.
They also detonated explosives, triggering a massive fire that engulfed an area estimated to span roughly 12,900 square meters, according to accounts from the Russian news agency Interfax.
Disturbing footage shared on social media captured the chaos as the attackers opened fire upon entering the hall, with chilling scenes showing innocent victims being targeted at close range.
Panicked attendees could be seen witnessing the unfolding horror, with one individual captured on video lamenting the arson attack within the auditorium.
Efforts to combat the flames involved helicopters deployed to assist ground-based firefighters, eventually bringing the blaze under control in the early hours of Saturday.
Amidst the chaos, the Emergency Situations Ministry coordinated the rescue of approximately 100 individuals from the building’s basement, while simultaneous operations were underway to aid those stranded on the structure’s upper levels.
Russian authorities, faced with the enormity of the tragedy, confirmed the grim toll, with 133 lives lost and over a hundred others wounded, marking one of the most devastating assaults in the nation’s recent history.
Fortunately, members of the Picnic band escaped unharmed and were safely evacuated from the scene.
In a swift response, Russia’s FSB security service briefed President Vladimir Putin on the apprehension of 11 suspects, including four directly implicated in the attack.
Further developments unfolded as at least two individuals were captured in the Bryansk region following a dramatic car pursuit spanning some 340 kilometres southwest of Moscow, as revealed by politician Alexander Khinshtein.
Additionally, reports indicated that more suspects may have sought refuge in a nearby forest, prompting ongoing pursuit operations.
