Official death toll in Moscow terror attack climbs to 139
The death toll in last Friday’s terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow Region has grown to 139 after two more victims died in the hospital, the chair of the Russian Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, has said.
The announcement comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting on Monday with representatives of law enforcement agencies and leaders from the capital and Moscow Region, about measures to be taken after the terrorist attack.
“As a result of the attack, 139 people died, of which 75 have been identified today. Three children were among the dead. Of the total number, 137 died at the scene of the attack, two died in medical institutions,” Bastrykin told the president.
According to the head of the investigative committee, 40 people died from gunshot wounds, and two from a combination of gunshot and stab wounds.
“As a result of the fire, 45 people died from exposure to high temperature and to the by-product of combustion,” Bastrykin stated, adding that 182 people had sustained injuries of varying severity.
Investigators have conducted over 200 searches and seizures of items related to the attack so far, according to Bastrykin.
At least four suspects armed with assault rifles stormed the venue on Friday evening ahead of a rock concert. The attackers entered the concert hall, shooting civilians at point-blank range, then set it on fire.
The men fled the scene after the attack, but were eventually apprehended by Russian law enforcement near the country’s border in Bryansk Region. According to preliminary findings, the attackers were seeking to cross into Ukraine.
