Published: March 23, 2024 1:56 pm
Author: RT
Rescuers have already checked and removed 41 cubic meters of debris as firefighters continue to extinguish flames
Some fires remain at Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, on the roof as well as on the second and third floors of the venue, following Friday evening’s brutal massacre, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has said. The attack has left at least 133 people dead and over 120 injured, according to official estimates.
In an update on its official Telegram channel, the ministry stated that firefighters are still working to extinguish isolated flames spread over a total area of 500 square meters, while over 100 rescue workers are carefully clearing the rubble and debris from the venue. Some 41 cubic meters of rubble had been checked and removed, the ministry said at the time.
The concert hall was set on fire on Friday evening after armed terrorists stormed the venue ahead of a nearly sold-out concert by Russian rock band Picnic. As confirmed by Russia’s Investigative Committee, attackers armed with automatic rifles opened fire on concert-goers and then used some sort of flammable liquid to set the venue on fire.
According to the emergencies agency, the fire ultimately engulfed around 13,000 square meters of the seven-story building, about a third of its entire floor area. Throughout the night, helicopters dropped over 160 tons of water on the building in attempts to put out the blaze, which was mostly contained by around 5am local time.
As seen in videos and photos of the aftermath shared by the emergency ministry, a large portion of the concert hall’s roof collapsed in the fire, while the top floors of the building are completely burned out.
READ MORE: What you need to know about the site of the Moscow terrorist attack
In the early hours of Saturday, emergency workers reported that they had started discovering bodies under the rubble, with officials suggesting that the total death toll is likely to continue rising as more of the venue is cleared out.
