A renowned Moscow region concert venue and shopping centre is on fire on Friday evening, following reports of a mass shooting incident.
Several gunmen, wearing combat fatigues, burst into Crocus City Hall and fired automatic weapons, injuring dozens of patrons and killing a significant number of them, according to Russian media.
At least 40 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a “terrorist attack” at the Crocus City Hall shopping mall and concert complex, northwest of Moscow, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Friday.
Press outlets report the use of explosives and video shows black smoke rising above the building. State news wire service TASS suggests up to a third of the huge complex has been engulfed in flames.
The agency has added that special forces from the Russian Guard have arrived at the location.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has ordered city services to provide all necessary assistance to everyone who has been injured. He expressed condolences to the relatives of those killed.
Sobyanin has also canceled all large-scale events in the Russian capital after the incident.
