One of over 140 victims killed in the Moscow massacre on Friday was a former beauty queen. Ekaterina Novoselova, 42, was identified by the Russian Health Ministry as among those who lost their lives in the Crocus City Hall attack. She had won beauty pageants in 2001 in her hometown of Tver and had been living in Moscow in recent times.
Another victim, Natalia Zudina, 44, was identified as a graduate of the Ural State Economics University, originally from Yekaterinburg. Pavel Okishev, 34, who was only days away from his 35th birthday, along with his wife, photographer Irina Okisheva, 33, were both reported to have been killed in the attack.
Innocent People Killed
The couple, originally from Kirov, had been together since 2012. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest in Russia in years. The incident left the 6,000-capacity concert hall in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, engulfed in flames with a collapsing roof.
Earlier today, Russian state TV editor Margarita Simonyan said that the death toll had risen to 143, although she did not provide the source of her information.
Alexander Semenov, 45, was the director general of a company producing building materials. He was also among those killed in the massacre.
Roman Sokolov, 47, is listed among those who perished in the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow, as published by the health ministry. He was a graduate of the Moscow State Technical University for Civil Aviation and tragically was killed on his birthday.
Viktoria Ladeishchikova, 46, was originally from the Sverdlovsk region of Russia and had a passion for yoga. She is survived by her daughter.
The attack occurred as crowds assembled for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the four attackers responsible for the "barbaric terrorist act" had been "captured and detained."
He warned that all those involved would face punishment. Putin also said that the attackers had attempted to flee toward Ukraine, and preliminary information indicated that some people on the Ukrainian side had made preparations to let them cross the border from Russia.
More Bodies Being Found
Earlier today, Russian state TV editor Margarita Simonyan stated that the death toll had risen to 143, although she did not provide the source of her information. Reports also indicated that 28 bodies were discovered in one of the toilets at Crocus City Hall.
Fourteen bodies were found on an evacuation staircase. According to sources cited by Baza media, people were found lying in groups, presumably families.
Some people died in embraces, with many mothers found hugging their children amidst the chaos.
The Kremlin said that Putin was informed moments after the assailants burst into the venue. Video footage from the night of the attack depicted the building engulfed in flames, with a large cloud of smoke billowing into the night sky.
The street was illuminated by the flashing blue lights of numerous fire engines, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles, while fire helicopters circled overhead to douse the blaze, which took hours to contain.
Other videos circulated by Russian media and on messaging app channels showed armed men wielding assault rifles and firing at screaming victims at close range.
Footage revealed how the attackers arrived at Crocus and bypassed a police patrol to gain entry to the hall.
There were claims that the assailants were armed with both Kalashnikov assault rifles and flamethrowers. However, conflicting accounts suggested that they carried cans containing a flammable liquid, which they poured first before igniting.
