At least three unknown, camouflage-clad, perpetrators began shooting around with automatic weapons inside the Crocus City Hall concert hall in northwestern parts of Moscow, state news agencies Tass and Ria write.
At first it was said that at least 40 people had been killed. Just before 2 a.m. on Saturday Norwegian time, the number has passed 60. This is reported by NTB, which quotes an update from the Russian Federation District Investigation Committee, which is the country’s highest prosecuting authority, reproduced by Russian media.
Several of those killed are said to be children.
In addition, it is stated that a further 145 people have been injured and the investigative committee says that the number of people killed can be expected to rise.
Early Saturday night, the Russian news website reported Baza on his Telegram channel that number has risen to 62. However, Baza’s information is based on preliminary information and has not been confirmed, according to NTB.
In videos on social media, several shots can be heard from fully automatic weapons. There are also unverified videos which purport to show the perpetrators shooting dozens of people at close range.
The building where the events took place is fully ablaze and black smoke is rising from the area. News agency Ria writes that the roof of the building is about to collapse.
Update at 10.20pm: The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) claims to be behind the terrorist attack in Moscow. They write that on their own Telegram account. The claim has not been confirmed by independent sources.
Read also: A large majority of Norwegians will continue their support for Ukraine
Opens terrorist investigation
Russian authorities say they are opening a terror investigation after the attack.
– The whole world must condemn this heinous crime, says spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemns the attack.
– The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the affected families, the Russian people and the Russian government. He wishes the wounded a speedy recovery, says Guterres’ spokesman Farhad Haq, according to NTB.
It is therefore still unconfirmed who is behind the attack, which will be the worst of its kind in Russia in two decades.
Russians fighting for Ukraine in the border areas say they have nothing to do with the attack, and the US says there is no indication that Ukraine is involved. An adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyi also denies Ukrainian involvement.
Closes assembly points
The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, is canceling all sporting, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend. At the same time, there are reports of increased security at airports and train stations in Moscow.
– A terrible tragedy happened today. My condolences to the loved ones of the victims, writes Sobjanin on Telegram.
The Russian intelligence service FSB reports that several people have died, writes Tass. Rumors are spreading in social media that the perpetrators are still in the building and may have hostages.
Flames and smoke
The images to the news agency Ria show flames and a sea of black smoke. Telegram channel Baza claims that people are still trapped in the building as a result of the flames and that the fire service is waiting for the special forces before extinguishing can begin.
The incident is said to have happened in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of the Russian capital. The concert hall where the shooting will start has room for over 6,000 people.
Two weeks ago, the American embassy in Moscow warned against high chances of a terrorist attack. Americans in Moscow have reportedly been urged to stay away from large gatherings.
Here are people running from the building in Moscow:
Barth Eide: – Dramatic
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information that Norwegian citizens have been affected by the Moscow attack
– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following the situation at Crocus City Hall and is in dialogue with the embassy in Moscow, writes press officer Siri R. Svendsen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an e-mail to NTB.
– Our embassy in Moscow is working to obtain an overview of the situation, and whether Norwegian citizens are affected. We have so far received no information that could indicate the latter, she writes further.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Russia, and writes in its travel advice has very limited opportunities to provide consular assistance to Norwegian citizens who are in the country.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) comments on the attack in Moscow on Friday evening and says there are dramatic images.
– There are dramatic images from Moscow. Every innocent human life lost is a tragedy, says Barth Eide to NTB.
He emphasizes that this is still an event in development.
– There is a lot we don’t know. We feel for those affected, says Eide.
The reactions are pouring in
The reactions after the attack flow into social media. Among other things, Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has condemned the attack.
– What a nightmare. Condolences to the families of the victims. Everyone involved in this criminal act must be held accountable, she writes on X.
Senior advisor in the Helsinki Committee, Ivar Dale, also shares his views on social media.
– After the Bataclan (terrorist attack on Paris in 2015, editor’s note) people waited to hear the French authorities tell what had happened. There was no reason to doubt the information given. Imagine being Russian tonight. Not even someone waiting to get information. One is left to guess and suspect, writes Dale.