Switzerland ‘horrified’ by Moscow concert hall attack
The Swiss foreign ministry says it is ‘horrified” by the deadly attack on a concert near Moscow on Friday night that killed at least 115 people and injured dozens more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a tweet on Friday, the Swiss ministry expressed its “deepest condolences to the relatives”.
Russia has arrested 11 people including four suspected gunmen in connection with a shooting rampage, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
It said FSB security service chief Alexander Bortnikov had reported to President Vladimir Putin that those detained included “four terrorists” and that the service was working to identify their accomplices.
The Islamic State, which has targeted Russia on several previous occasions, claimed on one of its Telegram accounts that its fighters “attacked a large gathering […] on the outskirts of the Russian capital Moscow”. The terrorist organisation said its commando group had then “returned safely to its base”.
According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, 115 people are in hospital, including five children. Sixty adults and one minor among the injured are in a serious condition. The authorities have warned that the death toll from the attack “may rise”.
Piknik rock concert
The attack, which the Russian media began to report at around 8.15pm in Moscow (6.15pm in Switzerland), was carried out by several armed individuals at the Crocus City Hall, a concert venue in Krasnogorsk, northwest of the Russian capital. The Russian rock band Piknik was performing.
The attack by camouflage-clad gunmen was followed by a huge fire in the concert hall.
“There are still a few fires, but the fire has almost been contained. Rescue workers have been able to enter the auditorium,” Andrei Vorobiov, the governor of the Russian capital, said on Telegram during the night.
“The roof of the auditorium has collapsed and the removal of debris is continuing,” he added. No information was given on the number of people potentially trapped inside.
“Just before it started, we suddenly heard several bursts of machine-gun fire and a terrible woman’s scream. Then a lot of screaming,” said Alexei, a music producer who was in the dressing room at the time of the attack. He said he saw “terrible crowd movements” as spectators tried to escape.
Putin informed
According to a journalist from the state-run Ria Novosti news agency, individuals dressed in camouflage burst into the concert hall before opening fire and throwing “a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which caused a fire”. The flames spread to almost 13,000 m2 of the building before the fire was contained, according to the emergency services.
Vladimir Putin was informed “in the first few minutes” of the attack, according to the Kremlin. He wished the victims a speedy recovery and thanked the doctors, after receiving reports from law enforcement officials and emergency services. He has not yet spoken publicly.
The investigation committee has released a video showing investigators working in the concert hall, where an automatic weapon and ammunition magazines can be seen.
The Telegram news channels Baza and Mash, which are reputed to be close to the forces of law and order, published videos showing at least two armed men advancing into the hall and others showing dead bodies and groups of people rushing towards the exit. Other images show spectators hiding behind seats or evacuating the concert hall.
Heightened security
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, has announced the cancellation of all public events this weekend. The capital’s main museums and theatres have announced their closure.
Heightened security measures have been put in place, according to Russian television, particularly at Moscow airports and in other major cities in the country. According to the Tass agency, Moscow’s Red Square has been cordoned off by the police.
Many other countries have condemned the attack. The White House said its thoughts were “with the victims of the terrible attack”.
An adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhaïlo Podoliak, said that Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian military offensive for two years, “had absolutely nothing to do” with the shooting. A unit of anti-Kremlin Russian fighters responsible for several armed incursions on the Russian border in recent months, the Freedom of Russia Legion, also denied any involvement.
The White House said the US had shared information with Russian authorities that extremists had imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.
Adapted from French by DeepL/sb
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