At least three people in camouflage opened fire at the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow on Friday, Sputnik reports.
Several people were injured in the shooting, while the concert hall caught fire, according to the correspondent.
“At least three people in camouflage burst into the ground floor of Crocus City Hall and opened fire with automatic weapons. There are definitely wounded,” Sputnik correspondent reports. “After that [the gunmen] threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire.”
“People in the hall laid down on the ground to avoid the fire, laying there for about 15-20 minutes, after which they began to crawl out. Many managed to get out,” the correspondent said.
Law enforcement has arrived and are working at the scene. Local authorities said that “all forces and means have been directed to the scene of the incident,” and that “information about victims is being confirmed.”
The Emergencies Ministry said about a hundred people have been evacuated from the venue’s basement.
Moscow Region governor Andrei Vorobyov is on route to the scene of the emergency, and an operational headquarters has been created. Moscow Mayor has ordered authorities to provide “all necessary assistance,” and expressed “condolences to the relatives of the victims.”
The Russian Health Ministry told Sputnik that over 50 ambulances has been sent to Krasnogorsk to provide medical care to victims. This number has since been increased to 70.
