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Inferno by Dan Brown – digested read

/High above the city upon which the giants once roamed ... Giotto, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Vettriano ... My gift is Inferno ... And with that I, the brilliant billionnaire geneticist Bertand Zobrist, jump …/

Robert Langdon's mind was a vale of darkness. His eidetic memory had failed him. "You've been shot," a woman said. He looked up to see a lissome figure with gentle brown eyes that held a profundity of experience rarely encountered in someone of her age. "I'm Sienna Brooks. A doctor. We have to get you out of here. Someone is trying to kill you."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" he asked.

"Because they read The Da Vinci Code."

Just then, a masked woman with spiky hair burst through the doors, firing a metallic gun. Sienna opened a hidden trap door that no one had guessed might be there and she and Langdon slid down a curved tunnel that took them to a secret hideout.

Langdon looked out the window. "From my observations, I deduce we must be in Florence, the most populous city in Tuscany with 370,000 residents," he said. "There's no time for you to quote Wikipedia," Sienna reprimanded him scoldingly. "The world is under threat."

"If only I could remember why," Langdon said, rifling his fingers through his fawny-brown hair. Sienna looked on with a sad tristesse. If only he knew I was really bald, she thought, having lost my hair as a child due to a disease brought on by my intelligence.

Seven kilometres out into the azure waters of the Adriatic, the Provost – the head of a top-secret organisation called the Cornsortium, which specialised in contriving idiotic plotlines – stood at the prow of his 237m yacht, the Mendacium. I may have finally taken on a plotline too stupid even for me, he thought.

"I keep seeing visions of a woman with Medusa-like grey hair," Langdon murmured. "Perhaps that means the key to unlocking this mystery is to be found in Botticelli's map of the world and in the works of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the major Italian poet of the Middle Ages."

Dr Elizabeth Sinskey, CEO of the World Health Organisation, combed her Medusa-like grey hair and thought unnecessarily of the glucocorticoid treatment that had destroyed her reproductive system. Her mind then switched to that fateful meeting she had had with Bertand Zobrist. "The population of the world is growing too fast," the billionaire geneticist had said urgently. "If we are not careful, there will soon be eight billion Dan Brown readers. We must have a cull."

As the helicopter drones droned above them, Langdon and Sienna cowered in the secret alcove of the Pitti Palace. "Canto 25 specifically points us to this spot," Langton insisted. "But there is no way through this locked door."

"Perhaps I could try knocking," said Sienna. The door creaked silently open. " Mille grazie . A thousand thank yous," she added, helpfully translating herself. As they looked down at a dead spiky-haired woman lying next to a Damien Hirst skull, Langton suddenly realised he was in the wrong city.

A sudden and unexpected memory flooded Langton's synapses as he observed the equine, horse-like structures in Venice. "Fiesland is a Dutch province that was the birthplace of the brilliant artist MC Escher ," he said. "We are in the wrong city again."

Deep in the heart of Istanbul, a city that nestles on the Bosphorus, Langdon, Sienna, Dr Sinskey and the Provost all gathered by the chthonic – the ch is silent, Langdon reminded them – monsters of the cistern. "I'm afraid we had to use you," said Sinskey. "Everything has been a setup. But it's too late anyway, as Zobrist's airborne virus that makes half the world infertile has already infected the whole earthly planet."

Langdon paused. "So let's get this straight. Zobrist left a trail of pointless clues to where the virus wasn't, so the whole book has been a total waste of time?"

Sinskey's mouth stretched into a knowing but sad smile. "That's about it. But at the end of the day, you will still have four billion readers, so you can't complain."

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The Keys to Dan Brown's Inferno

Adriatic  –  This sea separates the Italian peninsula, the Balkan peninsula, and the Apennine mountains. It is the uppermost arm of the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the  Mendacium , the Provost’s yacht, drifts.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Adriatic_Sea_map.png

Volvo  –  A swedish car company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo produces a wide array of cars, trucks, buses, construction equipment, and some marine equipment as well.

http://drcarfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/2004-volvo-wagon-v2.jpg

Dell  – An American multinational computer company based in Round Rock, Texas. Dell develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and computer related devices.

http://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/dell_computer-logo.jpg

Knowlton tries to tell the Provost about the disturbing nature of the video Bertrand Zorbrist requested be uploaded but is immediately dismissed by the Provost, not wanting to know anything about the video.

Manhattan  –  One of New York City’s five Burroughs. Though the smallest it is the most densely populated. It is the most populated area in the United States with a population of 1,585,873 living in a 22.96 square mile area, giving the island a population density of 69, 464 per square mile. It is one of the financial capitals of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RuWqG4nNzMM/T2YGI80Mc5I/AAAAAAABTIQ/0M4TtXVgUCs/s1600/ManhattanDRJeff.jpg

JFK International Airport   –  This airport is located in Queens, New York and is operated by the New York and New Jersey Port Authority.  It is the busiest international air passenger gateway in United States, and it handled over 49, 292, 733 passengers in 2012, making it the 17th busiest airport in the world.

http://karen-and-josh.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/JFK-International-Airport.jpg

We learn the Bertrand Zorbrist gave Elizabeth Sinsky a letter that said “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”, a quote derived from Dante Alighieri.

– Carsen Winn

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82 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 9

Chapters 10-18

Chapters 19-27

Chapters 28-40

Chapters 41-50

Chapters 51-60

Chapters 61-70

Chapters 71-80

Chapters 81-90

Chapters 91-99

Chapter 100-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Inferno by Dan Brown is the fourth installment in Brown’s Robert Langdon series of mystery/thriller novels, following (in order) Angels & Demons , The Da Vinci Code , and The Lost Symbol , and preceding Origin . Each edition covers a self-contained story, so readers need not follow the series in order, and often includes themes centered on European and Christian history and cultural traditions. The title character, Robert Langdon, is the only recurring character. Inferno won the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Mystery & Thriller in 2013 and was adapted into a feature film in 2016, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon.

The book’s title is a reference to Inferno , the first part of Dante Alighieri’s three-part epic poem Divina Commedia , or Divine Comedy in English, which was completed in the year 1320 and traced Dante’s fictional pilgrimage through the three realms of the afterlife: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Heaven). Written in the 14th-century Tuscan dialect, the Divine Comedy is credited with establishing the modern Italian language, and Dante Alighieri remains one of the most important writers in the history of Italian literature. Textual and thematic references to Inferno abound in Brown’s novel.

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This study guide refers to the 2013 Doubleday hardcover edition.

Content Warning: Inferno depicts violence throughout and includes a scene of sexual assault. This study guide quotes and obscures the author’s use of a derogatory reference to a Romani person.

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Plot Summary

The majority of Dan Brown’s Inferno is told in the past tense third person from the many points of view of an ensemble cast of characters but mostly from that of Professor Robert Langdon. At the beginning of the novel, Langdon awakens in a hospital in Florence, Italy with no recollection of how he got there or the last few days. As Langdon attempts to get his bearings, an assassin named Vayentha arrives at the hospital and shoots his attending doctor in the chest in an attempt to break into Langdon’s room, but Langdon escapes with the help of a young British doctor named Sienna Brooks. Vayentha is revealed to be an agent of The Consortium, an independent, international organization focused on providing special ops to the highest bidder regardless of that bidder’s intentions. The Consortium is led by “the provost,” an unnamed character who leads the organization from a yacht-turned-mobile command center, The Mendacium .

Following his escape from the hospital, Langdon is taken to Sienna’s apartment, where he discovers her history as an ostracized genius child, and he attempts to piece together what has happened to him. He discovers a Faraday pointer in his coat pocket, which reveals a projection of Botticelli’s Map of Hell , based on Dante’s rendition in Inferno . From clues placed on the Map , Langdon eventually deciphers a message: “ cerca trova ,” Italian for “seek and ye shall find.” The phrase is famously painted in the background of The Battle of Marciano by Giorgio Vasari, which hangs in the nearby Palazzo Vecchio. As Langdon and Sienna make their way across Florence to the Palazzo, they are pursued by soldiers led by a man named Brüder, who Langdon also assumes is trying to kill him.

Once at the Palazzo, Langdon deciphers the clue in Vasari’s painting as pointing him to Dante Alighieri’s death mask, also typically on display at the Palazzo, but the mask is missing. Langdon discovers that he was at the Palazzo the night before with a colleague, Ignazio Busoni, and the two were captured on camera stealing the death mask after apparently locating another clue. Langdon and Sienna also learn that the death mask has been under the private ownership of an infamous biochemist named Bertrand Zobrist, who Sienna explains once proposed radical, violent methods for solving a perceived global overpopulation problem. From a message left by Busoni, who died the same night, Langdon concludes that the mask has been moved to the Baptistry of San Giovanni across the city. He and Sienna encounter Vayentha as they leave the Palazzo, and Sienna kills Vayentha.

At the Baptistry, Langdon and Sienna locate Dante’s death mask and discover a riddle poem written on the inside by Zobrist. The poem implies Zobrist has planted a biological weapon in a secret location with the intention of releasing a plague of his own design, meant to kill billions of people. Langdon and Sienna are then met by an ill man named Dr. Ferris, who claims to have originally brought Langdon to Florence, and the trio decipher from the riddle that they must go to Venice. On the way, Dr. Ferris is shown contacting the provost , and the story heavily implies that Ferris is complicit in Zobrist’s plot, having once been lovers with him. In Venice, Sienna reveals Ferris’s treachery just before Langdon discovers that Zobrist’s plague is in Istanbul. After making this discovery, however, Langdon is captured by Brüder and his soldiers, though Sienna escapes.

Langdon is brought aboard The Mendacium , where the true plot is revealed: Langdon had been brought to Florence by Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey , the head of the World Health Organization and an adversary of Zobrist, to decipher Zobrist’s Dante-related clues so Sinskey and Brüder could contain his plague. Instead, Langdon was intercepted by the provost and The Consortium, who had been hired by Zobrist to hide his work from Sinskey. The provost, ignorant of Zobrist’s plan, attempted to locate Zobrist’s work themselves by drugging Langdon and convincing him that Brüder was trying to kill him, thus motivating him to find Zobrist’s virus—a plot that, to Langdon’s horror, Sienna helped execute. It is revealed that Sienna, not Dr. Ferris, was Zobrist’s lover and the inspiration for his plague, which he named Inferno.

Fearful that Sienna intends to release the plague on her own, Langdon joins Sinskey, Brüder, and the provost (who allies with the others following the discovery of Zobrist’s plot) in traveling to Istanbul, hoping to find Inferno before Sienna. They track Inferno to Istanbul’s ancient cistern, but they are too late, and the virus is released. When Langdon discovers that Sienna is also present in the cistern, he chases her across the city. She almost escapes but turns back when she realizes she has nowhere else to go. Remorseful, Sienna confesses that the Inferno virus will not kill billions but instead will randomly render one-third of the world’s population infertile. And since the virus embeds in the germline, it will also render one-third of unborn humans infertile as well. As a result, the human population will decrease over time, thus avoiding what Zobrist saw as an inevitable environmental collapse. Sienna, fearful of what the governments of the world might do with Zobrist’s technology, had not intended to release Inferno but to hide it.

After the crisis abates and it becomes clear that Zobrist’s weapon was not a world-killing plague, Dr. Sinskey announces there will be a summit of global health leaders in Geneva to address how and if the world should reverse the effects of Inferno and invites Sienna to join her. After Sienna and Langdon part ways, Langdon returns to Florence to attend Ignazio Busoni’s funeral and returns Dante Alighieri’s death mask to the Palazzo Vecchio.

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Inferno (Robert Langdon) Setting

The Mendacium

The Mendacium is the name of the boat from which the provost runs his business. Sinskey was brought to The Mendacium to view the video Zobrist had made. Langdon was also brought to this boat after he was captured by the SRS officers. Langdon was one of the few people who realized that The Mendacium was a Latin word referring to the Greek god of deception.

Florence is the city in Italy where Langdon wakes after he believes that he has narrowly missed being killed by a gunshot. The author chooses Florence as the main city in which the story is set because it is the place where Dante lived for a good deal of his life. It was this city that Dante loved and from which he was exiled.

Palazzo Vecchio

The building in Florence is important because it is where the Hall of the...

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FIVE MILES OFF the coast of Italy, the 237-foot luxury yacht The Mendacium motored through the predawn mist that rose from the gently rolling swells of the Adriatic. The ship’s stealth-profile hull was painted gunmetal gray, giving it the distinctly unwelcoming aura of a military vessel.

With a price tag of over 300 million U.S. dollars, the craft boasted all the usual amenities—spa, pool, cinema, personal submarine, and helicopter pad. The ship’s creature comforts, however, were of little interest to its owner, who had taken delivery of the yacht five years ago and immediately gutted most of these spaces to install a lead-lined, military-grade, electronic command center.

Fed by three dedicated satellite links and a redundant array of terrestrial relay stations, the control room on The Mendacium had a staff of nearly two dozen—technicians, analysts, operation coordinators—

who lived on board and remained in constant contact with the organization’s various land-based operation centers.

The ship’s onboard security included a small unit of military- trained soldiers, two missile- detection systems, and an arsenal of the latest weapons available. Other support staff—cooks, cleaning, and service—pushed the total number on board to more than forty. The Mendacium was, in effect, the portable office building from which the owner ran his empire.

Known to his employees only as “the provost,” he was a tiny, stunted man with tanned skin and deep-set eyes. His unimposing physique and direct manner seemed well suited to one who had made a vast fortune providing a private menu of covert services along the shadowy fringes of society.

He had been called many things—a soulless mercenary, a facilitator of sin, the devil’s enabler—but he was none of these. The provost simply provided his clients with the opportunity to pursue their ambitions a n d desires without consequence;

that mankind was sinful in nature was not his problem.

Despite his detractors and their ethical objections, the provost’s moral compass was a fixed star. He had built his reputation—and the Consortium itself—on two golden rules.

Never make a promise you cannot keep.

And never lie to a client.

Ever. In his professional career, the provost had never broken a promise or reneged on a deal. His word was bankable—an absolute guarantee—

and while there were certainly contracts he regretted having made, backing out of them was never an option.

This morning, as he stepped onto the private balcony of his yacht’s stateroom, the provost looked across the churning sea and tried to fend off the disquiet that had settled in his gut.

The decisions of our past are the architects of our present. The decisions of the provost’s past had put him in a position to negotiate almost any minefield and always come out on top. Today, however, as he gazed out the window at the distant lights of the Italian mainland, he felt uncharacteristically on edge.

One year ago, on this very yacht, he had made a decision whose ramifications now threatened to unravel everything he had built. I agreed to provide services to the wrong man. There had been no way the provost could have known at the time, and yet now the miscalculation had brought a tempest of unforeseen challenges, forcing him to send some of his best agents into the field with orders to do “whatever it took” to keep his listing ship from capsizing.

At the moment the provost was waiting to hear from one field agent in particular.

Vayentha , he thought, picturing the sinewy, spike-haired specialist.

Vayentha, who had served him perfectly until this mission, had made a mistake last night that had dire consequences. The last six hours had been a scramble, a desperate attempt to regain control of the situation.

Vayentha claimed her error was the result of simple bad luck—the untimely coo of a dove. The provost, however, did not believe in luck. Everything he did was orchestrated to eradicate randomness and remove chance.

Control was the provost’s expertise—

foreseeing every possibility, anticipating every response, and molding reality toward the desired outcome. He had an immaculate track record of success and secrecy, and with it came a staggering clientele—billionaires, politicians, sheikhs, and even entire governments.

To the east, the first faint light of morning had begun to consume the lowest stars on the horizon. On the deck the provost stood and patiently awaited word from Vayentha that her mission had gone exactly as planned.

.css-1d0dlne-HeadlineTextBlock >*{display:inline-block;} .css-1plpptc-HeadlineTextBlock{margin:0;color:rgba(255,255,255,1);font-family:Escrow Condensed,Georgia,serif;font-size:36px;line-height:40px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0px;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;font-stretch:normal;padding:0.5px 0px;}.css-1plpptc-HeadlineTextBlock svg{fill:rgba(255,255,255,1);}.css-1plpptc-HeadlineTextBlock::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.2266em;display:block;}.css-1plpptc-HeadlineTextBlock::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.1956em;display:block;}.css-1plpptc-HeadlineTextBlock >*{display:inline-block;} Inside a Russian Billionaire's $300 Million Yacht

The "A", designed by Philippe Starck, arrived in San Francisco in September after making stops in Alaska and Seattle. WSJ took an exclusive tour of Andrey Melnichenko's 394-foot mega-yacht in 2010. Photo: AP

April 15, 2010

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In a world where trends come and go, Madiz stands as a timeless icon of yachting history. As she gracefully glides through the waters, she carries with her the legacy of generations past, inspiring awe and admiration in all who behold her. In Madiz, we find not just a yacht, but a living testament to the enduring allure of classic craftsmanship and the timeless appeal of the sea.

Delivered in 1902 by Ailsa Shipbuilding in Troon, Scotland, Madiz (originally named Triton) is as majestic as it is unique and is looking for a new discerning yachtsman who wants to own and love a grand classic. The 122-year-old yacht is offered for sale by broker Jean-Marie Recamier and yacht sales advisor Jessica Ruez of Camper & Nicholsons International.

To better understand the historical significance of this vessel, know that Madiz is the oldest yacht in the world with a steel or iron hull to have Lloyd’s classification, and at 55.4 meters (182 feet), it is also the largest classic motor yacht currently for sale. According to the listing, there is no other yacht of this age, size, and original standing still in existance.

As mentioned, it was built by now-defunct Scottish yard Ailsa Shipbuilding on the banks of River Clyde, the cradle of one of the first and most famous shipbuilding industries in the world. In the 1900s, one-quarter of all the vessels built in the world were constructed there, with the “Clyde-built” denomination becoming synonymous with high quality and exceptional craftsmanship.

Commissioned by James Coates Jnr, a super-rich and successful Scots businessman, as a support vessel for his schooner, Madiz was designed by legendary naval architect George L. Watson, who established the very first yacht design studio office in the world. The famous yacht designer was also behind several other prestigious classics like Britannia, the most successful racing yacht of all time, and the America’s Cup challengers Thistle, Valkyrie, and Shamrock II.

From delivery to the present day, Madiz has lived a pretty eventful and exciting life. It was used as a purely pleasure watercraft until 1914, then it was put into service as a patrol boat in both World Wars, and eventually returned to private usage and served as a pleasure cruiser in the Mediterranean. The classic vessel has passed through the hands of several distinguished owners and was last refitted in 2007.

In the late sixties, Madiz was acquired by Greek businessman Costas Keletsekis, who was captivated by its rich heritage and timeless elegance. The yacht, however, was long past overdue for an overhaul by this point in time, and Keletsekis saw its true potential and committed to rebuilding it from the keel up to bring it back to Lloyds classification.

The hull and mechanical systems were thoroughly restored to a high modern standard, and the original coal-fired steam engines were replaced with new diesel engines from MTU Mercedes Maybach. Luckily, much of the original woodwork, including the teak decking and interior paneling, was salvageable, so the yacht still retains its original charm and unique features, with the added benefit of modern upgrades.

Madiz exudes the unmistakable style and grace of its era, but despite the fact that it has survived two World Wars and has sailed thousands of miles, it doesn’t look aged. It is fully operational and offers the same level of comfort and luxury as its contemporary counterparts. Those lucky enough to step onboard will notice that much of its interior retains the Cuban mahogany used in the master staterooms and the oak used in salons and other social areas.

If you’re wondering what it’s like to cruise onboard this classic gem, nowadays, the yacht dazzles guests with its unique finish, great attention to detail, and extravagant interior style that follows the same British Victorian themes of the 1900s. Madiz offers accommodation for as many as 14 guests across seven spacious staterooms on the main and lower deck. It operates with a crew of ten to ensure a relaxed and hassle-free luxury yacht experience and is served by two elegant 6-meter (20-foot) tenders.

The owner of Madiz will enjoy private deck access from their lavish master suite, as well as a Jacuzzi-style tub. Guests onboard will benefit from ample outdoor deck areas with dedicated spaces for dining and lounging, such as an open sundeck with excellent water views and shaded seating areas.

In terms of performance, the revamped vessel is powered by twin diesel Mercedes engines delivering 550 hp. It can reach a maximum speed of 11 knows and a comfortable cruising speed of 10 knots, with an impressive range of up to 2,750 nautical miles (5,092 km) from its 50,000-liter fuel tanks.

This one-of-a-kind vessel received further mechanical updates in 2009 and was available for private charter before the 2020 health crisis. Madiz is currently lying in Perama, Greece, where it can be viewed by appointment. The  asking price  for this classic beauty is €9,750,000 ($10,675,860) with VAT paid.

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69m Concept 'Cantharus' Unveiled by Designer Darin Osborne

By Heather Collier

Penned by U.S. Designer Darin Osborne, this futuristic 69m concept is set to stun yacht owners above and below the water.

The designer, currently based in Florida, sketched this vessel quite literally from the bottom up. 

"Cantharus" is said to be the Greek word for a deep cup with a high stem and loop-shaped handles, most prominent during Ancient Greece as a stoup for holy water. Other translations suggest it is a fountain, or the name of a harbour in Ancient Athens; a rather apt set of images for a concept that primarily acts as an underwater space.

Above the waterline, Cantharus is far less about the past, and more a vision of the future. She features a sleek hull with sharp lines and extensive glazing. The main deck is home to an open-plan dining and entertainment space with a large banquet/conference table and a grand piano; perfect for gatherings with family and friends.

Boasting a full 180 degrees of glass, this vessel immerses seafarers in the world beneath the surface. It’s currently outfitted as an office, but Osborne suggests that it could be transformed into an owner’s suite upon request.

“ The underwater lounge is a place to be surrounded by water and beauty ,” Osborne said in a statement. The designer adds that it will provide guests “serenity”, particularly when faced with longer journeys at sea.

To the aft of the main deck, there is a designated outdoor party space with a stage that can also double as a Jacuzzi. Guests will also find a bar, a DJ booth and a large pop-up TV to create your very own open-air cinema. The lower deck, meanwhile, offers cosy, additional living areas and a generous main cabin.

Cantharus also sports an ample upper bridge deck for sunbathing and a wheelhouse for sightseeing. The latter is fitted with a skylight to allow more natural light in.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday after a deadly shooting at a concert hall near Moscow, saying China opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns terrorist attacks.

China firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to maintain national security and stability, Xi said, according to CCTV state television. 

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Phil Helsel

The shooting attacks in Moscow are the latest in a series of deadly terror attacks in the country since the 2000s.

In 2004, militants from Chechnya and elsewhere took hostages at a school in Beslan in southern Russia.

The militants demanded a withdrawal from Chechnya. Hostages were kept in a gymnasium, and 334 died — half of them children — when gunfire and explosions erupted when it was stormed. Hostages’ families were critical of the rescue operation. Russian prosecutors later cleared authorities .

Two years prior, in 2002, Chechen separatists attacked the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow and took more than 700 people hostage. Russian forces used gas, and 129 hostages died. The attackers were killed.

More recently, in 2017 a suicide bomber from Kyrgyzstan killed 15 people as well as himself in an attack on a St. Petersburg subway. In 2013, two bombers killed a combined 34 people in attacks on a railway station and a trolleybus in Volgograd.

The group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attacks Friday at the Crocus City Hall venue.

Putin wishes victims well, deputy prime minister says

President Vladimir Putin is thinking of those injured in today’s attack and thanked doctors, a Russian government official said according to state media.

State media TASS reported that “Putin wished all those injured in the emergency at Crocus City Hall to recover and conveyed his gratitude to the doctors, Golikova said,” referring to Tatiana Golikova deputy prime minister for social policy, labor, health and pension provision.

More than 60 dead, and death toll could grow, Russian agency says

Russia’s Investigative Committee said Saturday that more than 60 people have died in the attack, and warned the number may increase.

“The bodies of the dead are being examined. It has been previously established that more than 60 people died as a result of the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the number of victims may increase,” according to the Investigative Committee, which is a federal state agency.

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and the security agency FSB are continuing to investigate, the committee said in a statement, and weapons and ammunition have been found.

U.S. warned Russia about planned terrorist attack in Moscow, NSC says

Monica Alba

The United States shared information about a potential terrorist attack in Moscow with Russia’s government earlier this month, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

The U.S. Embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds and said it was monitoring reports that extremists might attack large gatherings in Moscow.

“Earlier this month, the U.S. Government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts — which prompted the State Department to issue a public advisory to Americans in Russia,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

“The U.S. Government also shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Watson said.

Putin recently dismissed ‘provocative’ warning about potential attacks

In remarks that aired three days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of “provocative statements” about potential terror attacks in Russia, and dismissed them.

“I’ll remind you of recent, let’s say directly, provocative statements of certain official Western structures about potential terror attacks in Russia,” Putin said.

“All of this looks like obvious blackmail and an attempt to intimidate, destabilize our country,” he said before the state security agency FSB.

Putin in those remarks did not specify a country or warning. The U.S. embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds .

“The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the U.S. embassy warned.

Guards at concert hall didn't have guns, state news says

The Associated Press

Guards at the concert hall didn’t have guns, and some could have been killed at the start of the attack, Russian media reported.

Some Russian news outlets suggested the assailants fled before special forces and riot police arrived.

Reports said police patrols were looking for several vehicles the attackers could have used to escape.

U.S. had been gathering intelligence that ISIS could attack Russia

Ken Dilanian

The U.S. had been gathering intelligence for months that ISIS could mount a mass casualty attack in Russia, two U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News.

That information led to a March 7 warning issued by the U.S. embassy in Russia about possible extremist attacks, including at concerts, urging people to stay away from large gatherings, one of the officials said.

That official said the claim of responsibility today by ISIS appears to be genuine, though no final assessment had been made about who was responsible.

Some Moscow concertgoers filmed events as they unfolded Friday night, when gunmen opened fire inside a theater and people ran to take cover in fear for their lives.

Witness says gunfire was first thought to be construction noise

A witness to today’s armed attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall told a state news agency that they first mistook the gunfire for sounds of an installation being dismantled.

“First, we started hearing typical loud pops, but it was impossible to understand that they were gunshots. We thought that something was falling, as exhibitions were being dismantled at that moment, and someone seemed to be dropping something large,” Mikhail Semyonov told TASS .

“Then, the bangs were getting more and more frequent. Suddenly, there was a scream, and the bangs started to be heard as bursts. Then it became clear that it was shooting,” he said.

ISIS claims responsibility for attack but does not provide proof

The terror group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow.

The group, also known as ISIS, did not provide any proof of its claim, which came from ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram.

The group’s members have carried out a number of terror attacks, including the 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

Children among the victims, Russia's children commissioner says

Yuliya Talmazan

Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said children were among the victims of tonight's attack.

"Information about their condition is regularly updated," Lvova-Belova said on Telegram. "Any additional assistance will be provided immediately."

She later told Russia 24 TV channel that at least two children had been injured, including one boy with a gunshot wound.

Earlier, Russian officials released a preliminary casualty toll of at least 40 people dead and more than 100 injured.

France, U.K., Germany condemn attack

Officials from France, the U.K. and Germany were among those who expressed their condolences to the victims of the attack at the Crocus concert hall.

"The images of the terrible attack on innocent people in Crocus City Hall near #Moscow are horrific," Germany's Foreign Office said on X . "The background must be investigated quickly. Our deepest condolences with the families of the victims."

"We condemn the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow," the U.K.'s embassy in Russia said . "This is a terrible tragedy."

Meanwhile, France's foreign ministry called for "full light" to be shed on "these heinous acts."

Public events across Russia called off after attack

Several regional leaders across Russia, including in the annexed Kherson region of Ukraine, have canceled public events this weekend over security considerations after the deadly concert attack in Moscow.

Shortly after the attack, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin canceled all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend. State news agency TASS also quoted Russia's cultural ministry as saying that mass and entertainment events in federal cultural institutions have been canceled in the coming days.

Zelenskyy adviser speaks out about attack

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s adviser denied that Ukraine was involved in the deadly Crocus concert hall attack.

“Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall (Moscow Region, Russia),” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X. “It makes no sense whatsoever.”

No evidence has emerged to suggest Ukraine may have been involved, but Ukrainian officials may be trying to pre-empt accusations, as some Kremlin hawks have already started pointing at Kyiv. 

Asked whether the shooting was at all tied to the war in Ukraine, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said: “There is no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians, were involved in the shooting, but again, this just broke. We’re taking a look at it, but I would disabuse you at this early hour have any connection to Ukraine.”

Videos posted to social media appear to show chaos inside Moscow's Crocus City Hall during and after a terrorist attack.

Some videos include what sound like gunshots and show men with rifles, as concertgoers frantically try to exit the venue.

State Department issues warning to Americans in Moscow

Jason Abbruzzese

The State Department said that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is aware of the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall and that U.S. citizens should avoid the area and follow the instructions of local authorities.

"The U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the U.S. embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for U.S. embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at U.S. consulates in Russia," the State Department said in a message posted to its website .

'What a nightmare in Crocus,' Widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny condolences about concert attack

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died in prison last month, expressed her condolences about the attack Friday.

"What a nightmare in Crocus," Navalnaya wrote on X. "Condolences to the families of the victims and quick recovery to the injured. Everyone involved in this crime must be found and held accountable."

320 firefighters, 3 helicopters working to put out fire

Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said the number of rescue crews responding to the attack is growing and now includes more than 320 firefighters, 130 emergency vehicles and three helicopters dumping water on the burning concert venue.

Moscow regional governor says 40 dead, more than 100 injured

Moscow Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Telegram that at least 40 people are dead and more than 100 injured in the terrorist attack, confirming figures previously reported by Russian state news.

Putin informed about concert venue attack 'in the first minutes,' Kremlin spokesperson says

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed about the shooting at the Crocus concert hall "in the first minutes" of the attack, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

The president is receiving information about what is happening and the measures being taken through all relevant services and is giving necessary instructions, Peskov said according to RIA.

Russian journalist was inside concert venue when gunmen entered

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said on Telegram that one of its reporters was inside the venue when gunmen entered and began shooting concertgoers.

The journalist said that at least three unmasked gunmen in camouflage entered the hall a few minutes before 8 p.m. Moscow time. They shot people point-blank and threw incendiary bombs, according to the journalist.

Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson calls incident 'bloody terrorist attack'

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, called the Friday night incident at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow a "bloody terrorist attack" as she called for "strong condemnation" from the international community.

"Now, as the Russian authorities have stated, all efforts are being devoted to saving people," Zakharova said. "The entire world community is obliged to condemn this monstrous crime!"

U.S. national security spokesperson says embassy has told Americans to avoid large gatherings in Moscow

Kyla Guilfoil

National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby addressed the attack in Moscow at a White House press briefing Friday afternoon, calling it a “terrible, terrible shooting attack.”

“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the the victims,” Kirby said.

Kirby added that the U.S. embassy has notified all Americans in Moscow to avoid large gatherings, concerts, shopping malls, etc., and “stay put where they are” for their safety.

Russian media says 40 dead, more than 100 injured at concert attack

TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency, and RIA Novosti are reporting that Russia's FSB security agency has put the preliminary casualty count at 40 dead and more than 100 injured by a terrorist attack on a Moscow-area concert venue.

NBC News has not confirmed those casualty numbers.

Roof of concert venue at risk of collapse, Russian media says

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said on Telegram that the roof of the building near the concert venue's stage has begun to collapse.

Video posted to Telegram by RIA Novosti showed fire continue to blaze inside the venue.

Moscow area governor says more than 70 ambluances at scene of attack

Andrei Vorobyov, Moscow's regional governor, said on Telegram that more than 70 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene of concert venue attack.

“Everything is being done at the scene to save people," he wrote in the Telegram message. "The Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) has been deployed. There are over 70 ambulance carriages near Crocus, doctors provide the necessary assistance to all victims."

Nigel Chiwaya

Russia’s prosecutor general office says number of victims still being determined

Russia's prosecutor general said on Telegram that officials are working to determine how many people have been killed or hurt in the concert attack.

“On behalf of Igor Krasnov, the prosecutor of the Moscow region has gone to the scene of the incident at Crocus City Hall to coordinate the actions of law enforcement agencies," the prosecutor general's Telegram account posted. "Tonight, before the start of the event in the concert hall in Krasnogorsk, unknown men in camouflage clothes broke into the building and started shooting."

"The number of victims is being determined, a fire started in the entertainment center building, and citizens are being evacuated."

Moscow's mayor cancels weekend events

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that he was canceling all public events in Moscow this weekend.

"I have taken the decision to cancel all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend," he said. "I ask of you to treat this measure with understanding."

Popular rock band was to play sold-out venue that can hold 9,500

Tim Stelloh

A popular rock band was scheduled to play what appeared to be a sold-out show at the Moscow concert hall where there were reports of gunmen in combat fatigues opening fire.

Picnic, formed in 1978, was to play at Crocus City Hall, west of central Moscow.

The multilevel facility in Krasnogorsk has a maximum capacity of 9,527 people. Booking sites show the event was sold out.

Russia's aviation agency says additional security added to Moscow airports

The Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said that additional security measures are being introduced in Moscow airports

"Due to increased security measures, we ask passengers to arrive at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports in advance," the agency said on the Telegram messaging app.

Moscow's emergency ministry says it is working to extinguish fire

Moscow’s emegency ministry said it was working to extinguish a fire that began at the music venue.

The ministry said about 100 people were evacuated from the building, and it was working to rescue people from the roof.

Russian media says state security taking action

Russia's news outlet RIA Novosti said that the country's security agency, the FSB, is taking measures to respond to the shooting at a concert hall near Moscow.

Videos posted by Russian media show men with rifles moving through area

Extended rounds of gunfire could be heard on multiple videos posted by Russian media and Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through a concert hall. Another one showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants set it on fire, with incessant gunshots ringing out in the background.

Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said he was heading to the area and set up a task force to deal with the damage. He didn’t immediately offer any further details.

Russian media reports said that riot police units were being sent to the area as people were being evacuated.

Russian news outlets report gunman opened fire at Moscow concert hall

Several gunmen in combat fatigues burst into a big concert hall in Moscow on Friday and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people, Russian media said.

Russian news reports said that the assailants also used explosives, causing a massive blaze at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow. Video posted on social media showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building.

Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency reported that at least three people in combat fatigues fired weapons. The state Tass news agency also reported the shooting.

U.S. warned of imminent Moscow attack by ‘extremists,’ urges citizens to avoid crowds

Patrick Smith

U.S. citizens in  Moscow  had been warned to avoid large gatherings earlier this month because of heightened fears of a terrorist attack.

The U.S. Embassy in the Russian capital said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours.”

U.S. citizens should avoid crowds, monitor local media for updates and “be aware of your surroundings,” it said in a brief  online update .

Read the full story here.