Video showed flames and black smoke pouring from the lobby.
Russian authorities said that militants opened fire on people at a Moscow concert hall, killing more than 60 people and injuring about 115 people. The previous count was 40 people.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said a total of 115 people were hospitalized, including five children, one of whom was seriously injured. He said that of the 110 adult patients, 60 were in serious condition.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters attacked a “large gathering” on the outskirts of Moscow and “withdrew safely to their base.”
The attackers, dressed in camouflage uniforms, entered the building, opened fire and hurled grenades or Molotov cocktails.
Video showed flames and black smoke pouring from the lobby. Three helicopters were involved in fighting the fire, dumping water on the giant concert hall, which seats thousands and has hosted top international artists.
Dozens of people hid behind seats in the lobby or rushed to basement or rooftop entrances to avoid bullets. Shortly after midnight, the Emergency Management Agency said the fire was under control.
The European Union, France, Spain and Italy joined several countries in condemning the attack. The United States called the attack “horrible” and said there was no immediate sign of any link to the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president said Kyiv had “nothing to do” with the attack, while its military intelligence service called the incident a Russian “provocation” and accused Moscow’s special forces of being behind it.
The U.S. Embassy said two weeks before the attack that “extremists” were likely to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was receiving regular updates about the shooting at a concert at Krokos City Hall near Moscow.
Putin wished the injured a speedy recovery. “The president wishes everyone a speedy recovery and expresses his gratitude to the doctors,” Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova as saying.
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