The terrorists killed the guards, opened fire on visitors, and then started a blaze, which quickly spread through the building.
The death toll from Friday’s terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall has risen to 137, according to an update from Russia’s Investigative Committee.
The search for bodies continued on Sunday in the part of the complex that burned down in a massive fire, RT reports.
A group of gunmen stormed Crocus City Hall on the evening of March 22, just before a concert by the rock band Picnic. The venue, which has an estimated capacity of 7,500, was almost full.
The terrorists killed the guards, opened fire on visitors, and then started a blaze, which quickly spread through the building.
According to investigators, three children are among the fatalities, and a total of 62 bodies have been identified so far. Also, health officials have reported that at least 180 other people were injured in the atrocity.
“Four sets of combat ammunition, with more than 500 bullets and 28 magazines, and two Kalashnikov assault rifles, which the attackers were armed with, were confiscated from the scene of the tragedy,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement released on Sunday.
Officials added that a Makarov pistol and a magazine from a Kalashnikov assault rifle were found in a car, which the attackers used to escape.
Four men believed to be directly involved in the terrorist attack were detained on Saturday in Bryansk Region, not far from the border with Ukraine. In total, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has reported the capture of 11 suspects so far.
Meanwhile, Russia is holding a day of mourning for the victims of the terrorist attack in the Moscow Region, which has been described as one of the deadliest in the country’s modern history.
Entertainment events and shows have been cancelled in the capital and several other cities.
In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, President Vladimir Putin declared that Sunday would be a National Day of Commemoration for those who lost their lives in the atrocity.
Flags are flying at half-mast nationwide and at Russian embassies abroad, and Russian TV broadcasters have taken entertainment shows off the air for the day, with theatres and other venues also observing the sombre occasion.