Moscow Concert Hall Terror Attack LIVE: Death Toll Rises to 137, Say Russian Authorities

The Russian Investigative Committee has claimed that the death toll in the Moscow attack has risen to at least 137 people, as reported by Reuters.

One of the managers of the band Picnic that was supposed to perform at the Crocus concert hall on Friday at the time of the terrorist attack remains unaccounted for, RT Today has reported, citing a social media post made by the band. 

Is Ukraine behind the attack? Did America know about it? Catch all the insights on the latest developments around one of the deadliest terror attacks in the recent history of Russia on the Weekend Debate with Republic TV's senior editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy.

America's top diplomat took to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday to strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall in Moscow and said that “we stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life after this horrific event.”

The Governor of Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, on Saturday, promised that victims of the terror attack would receive financial compensation from the region and city governments, CNN reported. Relatives of those who have died will reportedly receive three million rubles while those that have been injured will receive one million rubles. 

Belarusian news agency BELTA quoted the nation's ambassador to Russia, Dmitry Krutoi, as saying that the nation's special services were involved in making sure that the “terrorists did not escape across our common border.” 

“This task has been accomplished. Maximum security measures have been imposed,” he added. 

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has denied rumours that the suspects detained for committing a terrorist attack in the Crocus concert hall were Russian citizens. “All of them are foreigners,” the Ministry reportedly said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his speech said, 

"Doctors are now fighting for the lives of the victims, those who are in serious condition. I am sure they will do everything possible and even impossible to preserve the life and health of all the wounded.

Special words of gratitude to the ambulance and air ambulance crews, special forces soldiers, firefighters, rescuers who did everything to save people’s lives, bring them out from under the fire, from the epicentre of fire and smoke, and to avoid even greater losses.

I cannot ignore the help of ordinary citizens who, in the first minutes after the tragedy, did not remain indifferent and indifferent and, along with doctors and security officers, provided first aid and delivered the victims to hospitals."

The death toll has now risen to 133. The information was disseminated by TASS which relied on Russian Investigative Committee.

In his speech, the Russian President said that - 

"All four direct perpetrators of the terrorist attack, all those who shot and killed people, were found and detained. They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border. A total of 11 people were detained.

The Federal Security Service of Russia and other law enforcement agencies are working to identify and uncover the entire accomplice base of terrorists: those who provided them with transport, outlined escape routes from the crime scene, prepared caches, caches of weapons and ammunition". 

According to a report from the New York Times, Putin seemed to be suggesting that Ukraine may bear some responsibility for the attack, alleging that "the Ukrainian side" intended to facilitate the attackers' movement across the border from Russia into Ukraine. However, he stopped short of directly accusing Ukraine or any other party in his brief speech, stating that those accountable, "whoever they may be, whoever may have sent them," will face consequences.

1. Investigative and law enforcement agencies will spare no effort to clarify all the details of the attack.
2. The attack was a planned mass murder of civilians.
3. The perpetrators acted with the intention of killing Russians in cold blood.
4. All individuals involved in the terrorist attack, including organizers and financiers, will face just punishment.
5. Every person behind the attack will be identified and punished accordingly.
6. Russia is aware of the threat of terrorism and is willing to collaborate with other nations that share similar experiences.
7. Terrorists responsible for the attack will face retribution and fade into obscurity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is addressing the nation right now. He has condemned the “bloody and barbaric terrorist attack”. He has declared a national day of mourning. This is the Russian President's first public address since the terrorist attack. Speaking about the victims, he said “I am sure that doctors will do everything possible and impossible to save the lives of the victims of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall”. 

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has condemned the terror attack. 
 

Dome of the Crocus City Concert hall collapsed completely. 

Efforts to provide medical assistance to the injured are underway, with Russia's Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko, confirming that emergency medical care has been administered, and treatment for severe injuries is ongoing. All the injured have been evacuated from the concert hall, according to local media reports.

On social media, visuals of a suspect's interrogation have emerged. 
 

The Russian investigative committee has announced that the death toll for Friday night’s terror attack at the Crocus City Hall rose to at least 115. According to The Guardian, 121 people are believed to have been hospitalised, with about 60 of them, including a small number of children, being described as in “serious” or “extremely serious” condition.

Russian investigators said that the suspects in Moscow Crocus City Concert Hall used “flammable liquid” after their gun rampage that killed more than 90 people, Russian investigators have said. “The terrorists used a flammable liquid to set fire to the concert hall premises where there were spectators, including wounded,” Russia’s investigative committee, which probes major crimes, said about Friday’s attack, the Telegraph reported. 

The death toll in the Moscow terror attack rose to 93 hours after the authorities completed rescue operations in the area. Russian Investigative Committee stated that the numbers are expected to go up. 

While giving an update on the devastating Moscow terror attack, the FSB Security Service chief told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Four people involved in the Moscow concert hall attack are among 11 detained by the authorities. 

Source: BBC

Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the Friday attack in Moscow. The group was founded in 2015 by disaffected members of the Pakistani Taliban, who then embraced a more violent version of Islam. The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government in 2022. During the US military withdrawal from the country, ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing at the international airport in Kabul in August 2021 that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians.

The authorities have noted that three children were among those killed in the Moscow attack. As the death toll continues to rise, the Friday attack became the deadliest attack in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, gunmen sprayed civilians with bullets just before Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall just west of the capital.

Chinese President Xi Jinping extended condolences to the victims of the fatal attack at the concert hall in Moscow. "Xi stressed that China opposes all forms of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government's efforts to safeguard its national security and stability", the Chinese administration said in a statement. 

The Russian embassy in India condemned the terror attack that jolted Moscow on Friday and shared an image of the consulate flying the flag at half-mast. “As a sign of mourning and grief for the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow, the Russian Embassy in India flies the national flag at half-mast,” the Russian embassy in India wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “We express our sincere condolences to the families of those deceased and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the embassy added sharing the image of the Russian flag in the consulate. 

Late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya issued a statement, condemning the terror attack that rocked Moscow. “What a nightmare in Crocus. Condolences to the families of the victims and congratulations to the injured. Everyone involved in this crime must be found and held accountable,” she wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. 

In a statement released by the United Nations Security Council on Friday, the International body called it a “heinous attack”. “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, the Russian Federation, on 22 March 2024," UNSC said in a statement. “The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," the statement further reads. 

Shortly after the rescue operation in the Moscow terror attack was completed, Russia requested the United Nations Security Council to conduct an emergency meeting on the matter. "Our diplomats will raise this issue at a UN Security Council meeting. I am sure they will demand that the Security Council hold a meeting in the near future so that the global majority, the biggest international organization may condemn these actions," Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador at Large Rodion Miroshnik said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

The death toll in the devastating terror attack has reached 80. According to Russian news outlet Sputnik, all major emergency measures for the victims in Crocus City Hall have been completed, said Mikhail Murashko, Russian health minister. “We continue to work with patients in a severe condition, everything goes into a stable mode,” he added. 

As world leaders continue to release a statement condemning the terror attack that rocked Moscow, reports are emerging that US President Joe Biden does not plan to call Russian President Vladimir Putin. There are no calls scheduled between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin following the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Sputnik."No," the spokesperson said on Friday when asked if there were any calls planned between Biden and Putin in light of the terrorist attack. The White House maintained that it is unaware of any contact between US and Russian officials.  
 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the nation soon after the horrifying terror attack jolted a concert hall in Moscow. Earlier today, the Russian President cancelled the leave of all officers associated with the Special Forces FSB and Emergency Services. 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemned and denunciated the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. “The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strong condemnation and denunciation of the armed terrorist attack that occurred at Crocus City Hall near #Moscow, which caused the death and injury of several people,” the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia wrote on X, Twitter.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on Friday at a concert hall near Moscow, calling it a “terrorist attack”. Macron, in a statement, said he “firmly condemns this terrorist attack, claimed by the Islamic State”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended condolences to the victims and thanked doctors for their diligence. “Putin wished all those injured in the emergency at Crocus City Hall to recover and conveyed his gratitude to the doctors,” Tatiana Golikova deputy prime minister said in a statement. 

Condemning the terror attack that Jolted Moscow, Qatar extended condolences and a helping hand to the victims of the devastating attack. "The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the shooting incident that took place in the Russian capital Moscow, and led to dozens of deaths and injuries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates Qatar's firm position on rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons," the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement. “The Ministry also expressed its condolences to the victims. State of Qatar to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Russia, and wishes the wounded a speedy recovery,” the ministry furthered. 

As rescue operations continue in Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condemn the devastating attack. “We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” Prime Minister Modi wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief,” he added. 

At least 60 people were killed and over 145 people were left injured after the assailants burst into a large concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. Shortly after the reports of the incident, ISIS claimed responsibility for the devastating attack. The attack came just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power. The terror group took responsibility for the attack in a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday. 

“Unidentified people in camouflage broke into Crocus City Hall and started shooting before the start of the concert,” the Russia Prosecutor General’s Office told Tass.