Chaos at Moscow Concert Hall... Survivor Says "Terrorist Fired as if Taking a Walk"

Teen Girl "Lies Face Down on the Floor Pretending to Be Dead to Survive"

On the 22nd (local time), a terrorist attack occurred at a large concert hall in the northwest of Moscow, Russia, and testimonies from survivors at the scene are continuing. At the time, a crowd of up to 7,000 people had gathered at the concert of the Russian rock band 'Piknik' when the terrorists indiscriminately opened fire, causing many casualties among the audience.

On the 23rd (local time), citizens pay tribute at a temporary memorial site for terror victims set up outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow, Russia.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Andrey (58), who was at the concert with his wife during the attack, said in an interview with the UK’s The Times on the 23rd, "They walked down the corridor slowly, confidently, and calmly shooting people with machine guns," and "They fired as if taking a stroll, and when one ran out of ammunition, he stopped calmly to reload."

The Andrey couple, who were in a caf? on the second floor, hid behind a pillar on the second floor to avoid the shooting. At the time, staff opened an emergency exit next to the stage to guide people inside the concert hall, but the terrorists followed in and indiscriminately fired. During this, two explosions were heard, followed by brown smoke rising. When someone shouted "Fire," people ran to escape. The couple survived by fleeing to the parking lot.

A teenage girl recalled to the Russian state news agency RT, "They saw us," and "One of them came back and started shooting people." She continued, "I lay flat on the floor and pretended to be dead," explaining, "I was bleeding." It was revealed that the terrorists also fired at bodies lying on the floor. The girl said, "The girl lying next to me died."

People at the scene initially mistook the gunshots for part of the concert. Arina (27) told the UK’s The Guardian, "I heard loud noises from outside and thought it was part of the concert," adding, "But at some point, I realized something was seriously wrong and that a shooting had occurred."

Arina soon saw a man disguised in military uniform enter the concert hall carrying an automatic rifle. She described that everyone was lying on the floor, and injured people nearby were covered in blood.

According to the US New York Times, Olya Murabiyoka (38) was standing in line with her husband to buy beer when she heard gunshots five minutes before the concert started. Murabiyoka said, "I thought maybe the band was making a dramatic entrance." However, her husband soon told her to run and hide, and fortunately, they survived.

Daria, who was at a hotel within the Crocus complex with her 7-year-old daughter, was dramatically saved with the help of a security guard. She explained that she initially hid in the room and blocked the door by pushing a wardrobe. But she soon decided to escape and was guided outside through the back door by the security guard.

The Russian authorities have announced that the death toll so far is 133. Since the search for bodies is ongoing and many survivors are in critical condition, the number of deaths is expected to rise.

The scene where the bodies were found shows the horrific and chaotic state at the time. According to the Russian media outlet Baza, 28 bodies were found in the restroom where people sought shelter. Fourteen bodies were also found on the emergency stairs. In the restroom, a mother who died holding her children tightly was also discovered.