Russia begins day of mourning after 152 injured in Moscow terror attack

Russia began a day of mourning on Sunday as the number of people injured in the terror attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow rose to 152, in addition to at least 133 killed, according to authorities.

Gunmen opened fire on Friday night at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk as people gathered for a sold-out gig by popular Russian rock band Picnic. The assailants then set fire to the venue during the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State terror group. “As a result, 285 people were injured (including 8 children), of which 133 people died (including 3 children),” the Ministry of Emergency Situations said, according to state Tass news agency on Sunday. The latest death toll provided by Russia’s Investigative Committee (IC) was also 133, while state broadcaster RT’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan gave a toll of 143, however she did not provide a source for the figure.

The victims died of “gunshot wounds and of poisoning” from combustion products, the IC said on Saturday. Rescuers continued clearing debris and searching for victims at the site overnight. On Saturday, President Vladimir Putin had declared Sunday a day of national mourning and called for the punishment of those responsible. “All perpetrators, organizers and masterminds of this crime will face fair and inevitable punishment, whoever they may be and whoever directed them,” Putin said during a message to the nation broadcast on television.

In the speech, which lasted five minutes, Putin highlighted that 11 people were arrested in connection with the attack, including four assailants. “All four perpetrators, who were directly involved in the terrorist attack, all those who shot and killed people, have been found and apprehended,” he said, also appearing to suggest that Ukraine was behind the attack. “They attempted to escape and were heading towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary information, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border,” the Russian president said. Authorities continue investigations to find those who helped the assailants by providing transportation, assisting their escape and providing a hiding place for weapons and ammunition. The terror attack is the largest in Russia since the Beslan massacre 20 years ago. EFE laa-tw