“Promise that we will find Tanya”: how the center for helping victims of a terrorist attack works

After the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, a Help Center was opened in the nearby Kubik business center, where you can get all the necessary information about the victims and dead. About how his work is organized – in the material of the MK special correspondent.

The assistance center began operating on Saturday at 10 a.m. on the premises of the Fatherland Defenders Foundation. By this time, updated lists of the dead who could be identified should have appeared.

For now, on the doors of the Center there is a list of points where you can donate blood. For many relatives whose loved ones did not return from the concert, the Help Center is the last hope of finding their relatives on the lists of one of the hospitals.

Psychologists, social workers, representatives of the security bloc, the governments of Moscow and the Moscow region work in the room. Prosecutor’s office workers come and go from the doors. Young priests in robes walked past us and disappeared behind the doors.

There is an ambulance on duty near the entrance. The foyer smells of corvalol.

The young man, coming down the steps, can barely hold back his tears. He came to find out about the fate of his loved ones. The day before, his wife Nastya, her brother, mother and father went to the concert of the Picnic group. None of the four have been in touch since yesterday evening.

“Relatives bought tickets for the concert two months in advance,” says Andrei Emelianenko. — They weren’t particularly fans of the Picnic group. We just decided to get together with the whole family and listen to good music. I couldn’t go with them because I was busy at work.

Andrei says that his relatives are not on the list of victims, not on the list of dead.

And, as we have seen, there are many such people. The man who introduced himself to us as Victor could not find his wife anywhere, who had gone to the concert of the Picnic group with a friend. He visited several hospitals, but to no avail.

Another family could not find their son, who went to a concert with a friend. There is no connection with any of them.

Governor of the Moscow Region Andrei Vorobyov, who arrived at the Help Center, said that after the terrorist attack, 121 people were hospitalized in various medical institutions. Many have extremely serious injuries. Doctors are now doing everything possible to save their lives.

The number of victims, according to the governor, will grow significantly. Andrei Vorobyov said that today, March 23, rescuers entered the Crocus City Hall auditorium at 6.30 am. Engineering work will be carried out around the clock. It will be necessary to remove the roof that has collapsed on top. All necessary equipment and cranes are already on site. Rescuers will work in shifts. When clearing the rubble, the dead may be found. The governor later announced that 50 victims of the terrorist attack had been identified. He also noted that tomorrow an algorithm will be developed to return lost property to visitors. Cars left in the parking lot will be picked up after 7:00 p.m.

“It’s more difficult with clothes,” the governor noted. “Many people have lost their license plates, and the entrance to the wardrobe is still very limited. But we expect to begin issuing personal property tomorrow.”

The Help Center employs one hundred employees, 18 psychologists, and more than 20 operators who answer calls. As of 1 p.m., they had received 272 calls. About 40 relatives visited the headquarters.

Near the entrance to the Help Center, an elderly woman stops, not daring to enter. He takes off and puts on the scarf again. Turning to the man accompanying her, she quietly says: “Where is our child? Promise me that we will find Tanya. Well, say that she was saved.” The man silently hugs her. Sighing, as if trying to get more air before the inevitable, they both go inside.

The Minister of Social Development of the Moscow Region, Lyudmila Bolataeva, said that the specialists of the Help Center are actively working with the Ministry of Health, exchanging lists of victims. They will keep in touch with each family and will inform you if new information appears.

The center will operate around the clock; specialists can be contacted by calling 122.