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THIS is the chilling moment gunmen stormed a packed Moscow concert hall before at least 40 people were killed.
Shocking footage shows the beginning of tonight’s terrifying massacre in Crocus City Hall – which ISIS has now claimed responsibility for.
Not known, clear with picture desk
The camouflaged shooters opened fire
AFP
AFP
At least 40 people have been killedVideo shows the masked gunmen opening fire as they stroll through the concert hall’s main reception room.
Gunfire rings out while thousands of people attempt to take cover inside the auditorium – with blood-curdling screams heard in the distance.
Dead bodies are seen strewn across the floor.
It’s believed as many as five gunmen dressed in camouflage stormed the iconic music venue leaving 40 dead and 100 injured.
The assailants also used explosives, causing a massive blaze at the concert venue, on the western edge of Moscow.
The gunmen remain at large. Russia‘s National Guard said it was on the scene and looking for the perpetrators.
In another video shot inside the auditorium, a man described the horror scene.
He said: “There is some shooting here. Somebody is shooting here.
“They are shooting from a machine gun. They are shooting at the crowd.
“Some people are shooting. They set the concert hall on fire. We are on fire.”
Hundreds are reported to be trapped in the burning building while the roof at part of the complex has collapsed.
Authorities managed to evacuate 100 people hiding in the basement, with some of the attackers reportedly having barricaded themselves inside.
Video shows huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building as some were evacuated from the roof of the building.
A second blast was reported at the venue while panicked people were seen fleeing the scene amid fears gunmen were holding several hostages.
The attackers reportedly emerged from the underground car park and accessed the building.
It is estimated there may have been over 6,000 people in the venue as all tickets were sold out.
The Russian special services arrived at the scene but firefighters delayed tackling the blaze until they came.
Extended rounds of gunfire could be heard on multiple videos posted by Russian media and Telegram channels.
One showed two men with rifles moving through the mall.
Another one showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants set it on fire, with incessant gunshots ringing out in the background.
Opened in October 2009, Crocus City Hall is located in the city’s Krasnogorsk Urban Settlement in the Krasnogorsky District.
AP
Reuters
ReutersThe US and UK embassies warned two weeks ago about such an attack at a crowded venue by “extremists”.
They had suggested it would be earlier but warned foreign nationals to stay away from busy venues.
Crocus City is about 14 miles northwest of the Kremlin, and people were there for a concert by group Picnic, a Soviet-era rock band.
The US previously warned: “The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings.”
They had suggested such an atrocity might happen in the next 48 hours, yet nothing did – until now.
People were told to avoid crowds, monitor the local media for updates, and be aware of their surroundings.
The British embassy followed with a similar warning.
Other public venues in Moscow and St Petersburg were evacuating.
Reuters
Huge plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the venue in Moscow
English (US)