60 Russians killed, 150 injured in Moscow terrorist attack

A terrorist attack at a concert hall in a Moscow suburb has left dozens of Russians dead and injured. Iran and several other countries have condemned the deadly incident.

The death toll in the brutal terrorist attack has risen to more than 60, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in the early hours of Saturday.

“The bodies of the deceased are currently being examined. It is provisionally established that more than 60 people died in the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the number of victims could rise,” said the Investigative Committee.

According to health officials, nearly 150 were wounded, including several children.

Earlier, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said at least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the attack on Friday.

“According to preliminary information, 40 people were killed and more than 100 were injured as a result of a terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall,” the Interfax news agency reported, citing the FSB.

“Fire and rescue units are operating… Their main efforts are aimed at search and rescue. Firefighters evacuated about 100 people from the basement of the building. Work is underway to rescue others from the roof using lifts,” the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

Gunmen opened fire at the rock concert on Friday before a major fire spread through the theatre, Russian authorities and news agencies said.

Several fire brigades and aircraft were deployed to put out the blaze on Friday night.

The attackers reportedly set the building on fire. Witnesses also said they heard explosions inside the popular shopping center and music venue in Krasnogorsk, just northwest of the Russian capital.

According to regional emergency services, around 100 people have been evacuated from the underground floor.

Attackers dressed in camouflaged outfits entered the building, opened fire, and threw a grenade or incendiary bomb, according to a journalist for the RIA Novosti news agency who was at the scene.

Reactions from the world community are pouring into the deadly terrorist attack in Russia.

The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms while the UN Security Council underlined the need to hold accountable those responsible for the attack.