Image source, Reuters

A helicopter has been sent to help extinguish the fire at the Crocus City Hall, Russia's state-owned news agency TASS reports.

Images from the scene show smoke and flames billowing from the roof of the structure, which houses a mall and concert theatre.

According to the Interfax news agency, a group of up to five people were involved in the shooting attack and blast at the Crocus concert venue.

The group are thought to have been wearing camouflage outfits and were armed with automatic weapons, the report from Interfax said.

Another report, by state news agency TASS, said there are still people inside the building, which is on fire.

Will Vernon
BBC News, former Moscow reporter

Russian media reports that up to 6,200 people were in the hall at the time of the attack – that’s how many tickets had been sold for the concert, of the famous Russian rock band Picnic.

The maximum capacity of Crocus City Hall is 9,500, according to the venue’s website.

Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport is increasing security measures in the wake of the attack at the concert hall in Krasnogorsk this evening. Railway stations in the capital are also stepping up security, according to Russian news agency reports.

We're getting some early images from outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue. As the blaze inside continues, a large number of law enforcement and emergency personnel have gathered outside.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Warning: This video may be distressing to some viewers

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has released a statement saying: "I strongly condemn such acts of violence, brutality, and recklessness against civilians."

Kadyrov is an ally of President Putin.

We heard earlier from the White House that they are still gathering information on the attack on Moscow.

They have since said that there is "no indication at this time" of Ukraine's involvement in the ongoing assault.

The two countries have been at war since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

City authorities have said that all "cultural, sporting and other events have been cancelled for the weekend."

Image source, Reuters

Russian media outlets are relaying witness accounts from Crocus City Hall.

Vitaly says he was in the concert hall on one of the balcony levels:

“We heard shots, we didn’t know what happened at first. Then I saw some terrorists shooting people!

They threw some petrol bombs, everything started burning. We were led out towards an exit. The exit door was locked so we went to the basement of the venue, where we waited for rescuers."

An unnamed witness says parents were attending a ballroom dancing competition with their children when the shooting started:

“Children and teenagers were at the competition. People came and said there was shooting.

A crush ensued. The children were running out in their ballroom gowns."

A second explosion has just been heard at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, according to Russian news agencies.

Russia's security service, the FSB, says it's taking "all necessary measures" in relation to the shooting at the concert hall near Moscow, Russian news agency Interfax reports.

Russia's human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova says the incident is a "terrorist attack", in comments reported by the Reuters news agency.

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

Earlier this evening a number of armed men in camouflage burst into the Crocus City Hall just before a pop concert and began shooting.

The hall was packed with visitors and mobile phone footage shows scenes of chaos.

There are no official figures yet as to how many people have been killed but there are reports of at least 12 people killed.

The building is on fire - possibly a third of the building - and we believe dozens of people may be trapped inside the building.

There are also reports that a number of the gunmen may have barricaded themselves inside the building, so this is still going on.

Obviously this is a very serious situation with Russian special forces deployed to the scene, as well as 50 ambulances. This suggests the authorities fear the casualty toll could be quite high.

Image source, EPA

John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, just said the White House is working to gather more information on the attack.

"Our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack," he said at a regularly scheduled press briefing.

The US State Department has put out a notice to Americans in Moscow to avoid larger gatherings "for their own safety", he said

He also asked that those Americans stay in contact with the State Department for further updates and information.

We're hearing that about 100 people have been rescued from the basement of the concert hall, according to emergency officials involved in the rescue.

However, there are still people stuck on the roof of the building, according to Russian news agencies.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Various Russian Telegram news channels have published footage that shows at least one person having been shot at Crocus City Hall, as well as sounds of shooting and scenes of panic.

Popular pro-Kremlin channel Readovka reported that at least 12 people might have died in the attack, and 50 more were injured.

State RIA Novosti news agency reported that at least three attackers wearing camouflage opened fire at the venue.

One video published by popular breaking news Telegram channel Baza showed flames and a huge plume of smoke rising from what was said to be the concert venue.

Special units of Russia’s National Guard have arrived at the concert venue in the Moscow region, according to the Reuters news agency.

More than 50 ambulances are also heading to the scene, Russian state media is reporting.

Here's one of the first images we're seeing from the attack showing plumes of smoke rising from the concert hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow.

Reports say a fire has spread through the building.

Image source, Reuters

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of what appears to be a serious attack at a concert hall in a suburb of Moscow.

Multiple Russian news agencies have reported shooting and a fire at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk.

Photographs from the scene show huge plumes of smoke and a large fire on a building’s rooftop.

"Unknown people opened fire at the Crocus City Hall. The evacuation of people is ongoing," emergency services told TASS news agency.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest from this developing situation.