The Moscow concert hall where the shooting took place and a fire broke out later. | Image:Tass
New Delhi: Following the deadly attack at a concert hall in a Moscow suburb in Russia which claimed over 60 lives and left over 145 injured, the US Embassy in Russia has issued a travel advisory for its citizens, asking them to avoid travelling to the country. US citizens have been advised to coordinate with local authorities and follow their instructions.
According to Russian media, a group of Camouflage-clad armed miscreants stormed the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk and opened fire at concert goers with automatic weapons at a point blank. Visuals have emerged from the terror attack site wherein the gunmen can be seen chasing the audience before shooting them.
Amid chaos and terror, shopping malls have been ordered to remain closed in Moscow and St. Petersburg. As a precautionary measure, all public events scheduled this weekend have also been cancelled. According to local reports, people also reported social media outages across the country, with many users unable to access to Telegram and Vkontakte.
The US Embassy in Russia has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory.
The advisory read, “ The Embassy is aware of reports of an ongoing terrorist incident at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow. US citizens should avoid the area and follow instructions of local authorities. The US government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to US citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the US embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for US embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at US consulates in Russia.”
“At this time, US citizens are advised not to travel to Russia. More information on the State Department’s Level 4 Travel Advisory (Do Not Travel) can be found on travel.state.gov,” it further read.
