At least 40 dead and more than 100 injured after gunmen open fire at Moscow concert hall

22 March 2024, 19:30 | Updated: 22 March 2024, 22:26

At least 40 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded after gunmen opened fire at a concert hall near Moscow, according to Russia's Federal Security Service.

Four gunmen dressed in camouflage reportedly burst into the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk on the edge of Moscow on Friday evening, spraying visitors with automatic gunfire.

Russia's Foreign Ministry described the incident as a 'terrorist attack'.

There has been no immediate claims of responsibility for the apparent terror attack.

Footage taken at the scene of the shooting shows dozens of people taking cover in the hall while gunshots can be heard firing in the background.

The attackers threw explosives which also caused a huge blaze at the concert hall, with Russian media reporting that the venue’s roof was collapsing.

The Russian national guard said that the search for the attackers remains ongoing.

Around a third of the building has been set alight, according to a Tass state news agency.

Those who have tried to escape the building are thought to have fled to the basement and roof.

Evacuations are being carried out but an unknown number of people may have been trapped in the blaze, according to reports.

Russia’s top investigative agency said it is investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB, said in a statement: "All possible measures are being taken to provide assistance to those affected as a result of the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall.

"The special services are carrying out active search measures following the emergency in the Crocus complex.

"According to preliminary information: 40 dead and over 100 wounded."

Images taken at the scene of the attack shows a huge blaze alight at the building with clouds of billowing smoke.

Other footage shared by Russian media and Telegram channels show two men with rifles moving through the venue’s mall with long rounds of gunfire heard in the background.

Russian authorities said security had been tightened at the airports and railways stations in Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin is receiving regular updates on the incident at Crocus City Hall, Kremlin spokesman  Dmitry Peskov said.

He said: “Vladimir Putin was informed about the beginning of the shooting in the first minutes of what happened in Crocus City Hall.”

White House national security adviser John Kirby said there was no indication that the Ukraine had any involvement in the incident.

Russia said if the US was sure that Ukraine was not involved it should share any information it had with them.

Ukraine's presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Kyiv had nothing to do with the attack."Let's be straight about this: Ukraine had absolutely nothing to do with these events," Mr Podolyak said.

"We have a full-scale, all-out war with the Russian regular army and with the Russian Federation as a country. And regardless of everything, everything will be decided on the battlefield."