Moscow attack: Eyewitnesses recount terror in Russia concert hall

Eyewitnesses on Friday night recalled the gun attack at a concert hall in suburban Moscow that killed more than 60 people and left over 100 wounded.

A witness told AFP it was a few minutes before the start of the concert by Piknik when automatic gunfire rang out. Follow LIVE updates of the Moscow attack here.

"I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it's the worst: a terrorist attack," said Alexei, who would not give his last name.

A journalist for the RIA Novosti news agency at the scene said that attackers were dressed in camouflage uniforms. They entered the building, opened fire and threw a grenade or incendiary bomb, the journalist claimed.

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Another journalist with the AFP at the scene hours after the attack saw black smoke and flames coming from the roof of the concert hall, which can hold up to 6,000 people. Media reports said part of the roof had collapsed.

One witness, who asked not to be identified by name, told Reuters that a stampede began soon after the shooting.

"Suddenly there were bangs behind us - shots. A burst of firing - I do not know what," the witness said. “A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator. Everyone was screaming; everyone was running.”

Moscow terrorist attack

A group of armed men stormed into Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow and opened fire and detonated explosives. Video shared on social media by Russian news agencies showed billowing clouds of smoke and flames rising from the venue building.

Hours later, the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the massive attack. It, however, did not provide any evidence to support the claim. In a statement, the terror group claimed that it attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk on Moscow's outskirts

Meanwhile, Russian authorities said a hunt has been launched for the attackers and that a "terrorism" investigation has been undertaken, reported AFP.

Security has been tightened at airports, transport hubs and across the capital Moscow. All large-scale public events have been cancelled across the country, according to Reuters.

The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof, was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.

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