interface news reporter | Cai Xingzhuo
interface news editor | Liu Haichuan
On the evening of March 22, 2024 local time, a terrorist attack occurred at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow, Russia. According to reports, three people wearing camouflage uniforms shot at the crowd at the scene. The gunmen also threw grenades or incendiary bombs, causing a fire and causing the top of the building to collapse.
As of press time, the number of victims of the Russian terrorist attack has risen to 143. According to the Guardian, three children were among the victims. There are 121 people hospitalized, with about 60 of them - including a small number of children - in conditions described as "severe" or "extremely serious". So far, the Russian Ministry of Health has announced the identities of 41 known victims.
The concert hall of Crocus City Hall is one of the largest concert halls in the region. Former US President Trump once held the Miss Universe contest here. Zhou Meng (pseudonym), a Chinese student at the People's Friendship University of Russia, told Jiemian News that he once went to do translation work for the exhibition near Crocus City Hall. According to him, Crocus City Hall is located in the northwest of Moscow, about 20 kilometers away from Moscow’s Red Square. To the north of the city hall, about 24 kilometers away in a straight line, is Moscow's largest international airport, Sheremetyevo International Airport.
As of press time, the official website of the "Picnic" band stated: "Picnic" expresses its deep condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims, and we pray for the victims' speedy recovery. We are deeply shocked by this terrible tragedy and mourn with you.
According to reports from NBC, when the terrorist attack occurred, people were gathering together to watch the performance of the Russian rock band "Piknik". Al Jazeera reported that the Crocus City Hall concert hall was built in 2009 and can accommodate 6,200 people. On the night of the terrorist attack, the tickets for the "Picnic" band's performance were sold out. According to the latest BBC report, more than 6,000 people were present to watch the performance.
"Picnic" band was established in 1978. According to the media, its current members include guitarist and keyboardist Edmund Shklyarskiy, drummer Leonid Kirnos, bassist Marat Korchemny, and keyboardist Stanislav Shklyarskiy. According to reports on the evening of the 22nd local time, Yuri confirmed that the band members were not injured and all had been evacuated.
However, according to news updated in the early morning of March 23 by the TASS news agency, band manager Yuri Chernyshevsky said that after the terrorist attack, they were temporarily unable to contact one of the band members. "We don't know if he left Crocus." However, he did not specify which band member he was referring to. As of press time, Jiemian News checked the band's official website and found that the page has been updated to a condolence page.
Local Chinese international student Chen Xiaoming (pseudonym) told Jiemian News that Chinese international students are basically concentrated in the southwest district of Moscow where there are many schools, nearly 20 kilometers away from the incident area. After the incident, the Russian People's Friendship University where she studied sent an email to students on the 23rd, saying that all courses and activities for students that day were cancelled. According to reports, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Friday local time the cancellation of all sports, cultural and other large-scale events held in the Russian capital this weekend.
