The peaceful night spent with her family was instantly broken by the news flash on the TV screen. The harsh gunshots and burning buildings made Stila feel panicked. "This is terrorism, where you can drop from the safest place in the world into chaos in an instant," she told Red Star News.
On the evening of the 22nd, a concert auditorium in Moscow turned into a tragic scene of indiscriminate attacks by terrorists. Several armed men broke into Crocus City Hall in the northwest suburbs and opened fire with guns. As of press time, at least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
The tragedy happened suddenly:
One of the largest comprehensive building complexes in Moscow
The audience was cornered by gunmen and shot at close range
From the video posted by those who witnessed the scene, it can be seen that the red curtain of the Crocus City Hall concert auditorium in the University of Notre Dame was It hasn't risen yet, but the audience is already full and the performance is about to begin. However, what awaits is not the band and the music, but the gunmen and the sound of gunfire. The audience began to get up and leave, with expressions of fear and confusion on their faces, not knowing where to go.
From another video, you can see that at the entrance of the building, spectators who were trying to escape were blocked by gunmen in a corner and shot at close range. The sound of gunfire echoed in the lobby for a long time, which was shocking.
Judging from the video taken on the street, this huge building has been engulfed in flames. The flames are soaring into the sky, and the roof is crumbling. Police cars and fire engines have gathered outside to help people escaping and carry out on-site rescue.
Vitch, who had worked in the building, immediately contacted former colleagues and family members to make sure everyone was safe. She told Red Star reporters that there is not only a concert auditorium here, but also shopping venues, exhibition centers and offices nearby. It is considered one of the largest comprehensive building complexes in Moscow. However, it is further away from the city center and less heavily guarded. As she recalled, the security guards there were usually not equipped with weapons.
Half an hour on the line of life and death:
The whole building was burning from bottom to top
Cover your face with wet clothes, and the smoke was waiting for rescue
An eyewitness named Alexander recounted his escape experience at the scene. The location of their group was In the stands on the third floor, when the show started in two minutes, I heard gunshots and explosions from downstairs. I saw someone running towards the stage. It seemed that there was an extra exit backstage.
They chose to stay on the upper floor. After observing and assessing the situation, they finally chose to climb out of the concert hall and take the elevator downstairs. During this period, gunshots were heard from both the first and second floors, and people were seen walking around and shooting.
Alexander said that they followed the exit sign and fled to the backstage. A security guard asked them to stay in an area with water and fire protection equipment. They waited in the smoke with more than 50 other people for about 30 minutes and were wetted with fire hydrants. With clothes covering his face, he lowered his body as much as possible and sat on the ground, waiting for rescuers to open the door blocked from the outside.
When asked about the source of the smoke, he told the Red Star News reporter that he smelled a smell of kerosene at the time. The smoke should have started coming from the basement of the building. The fabrics in the building also started to burn. The entire building was burning from bottom to top. .
Who is behind the scenes:
The gunman is still at large
isis claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack
As of press time, police and media sources said that the gunman has not been arrested and is still at large. The entire city fell into a wider panic.
Alek, who lives in Moscow, told Red Star reporters that the police are currently arresting people throughout the city, and he plans to stay at home and not go out for the next two days.
As for the mystery that hangs in everyone's mind - who is the mastermind behind the scenes, various conspiracy theories are already rampant. Some people have compared this incident with the directive issued by the US Embassy and Consulates in Russia on March 7 to avoid concerts and other gatherings. "We need to remain calm, help those who were victims of the incident, and not believe in any conspiracy theories," Alek said.
Local reports in Russia stated that the terrorist organization ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack.
"I'm really sad," Stila said. "I hope this can all stop as soon as possible - all the war and pain."
Red Star News Special Correspondent Wang Wei
Editor-in-Chief Deng Zhaoguang
