A lawyer for several survivors and relatives of victims of the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall entertainment center near Moscow said many have filed lawsuits against the venue's owners, accusing them of fire safety violations.
On the night of the attack, the stage curtain -- supposedly made of fireproof material -- caught fire in seconds, the doors of many evacuation exits were locked, and the smoke removal system in the hall did not work, increasing the number of victims, according to lawyer Igor Trunov, who was quoted by RIA Novosti on April 2.
Many of the more than 140 people who died in the attack on March 22 were killed by the fire, which erupted when the attackers detonated at least two explosive devices.
The Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk near Moscow is owned by the Crocus Group company led by Russian businessman Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov.
Aras Agalarov, who has roots in Azerbaijan, said earlier that the fire safety system in the entertainment center was working properly when several men in military uniform rushed into the Crocus City Hall and started shooting minutes before a concert by the rock group Piknik on March 22.
Agalarov said then that the concert hall's employees were unable to stand against the armed men.
Ten men from Central Asia, including four ethnic Tajiks suspected of carrying out the attack, have been arrested for alleged involvement in the attack and ordered held in pretrial detention.
Some of the men appeared to have been severely beaten when they arrived at a Moscow court two days after the attack.
The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, while Russian officials have said that Ukraine and Western countries were involved but have provided no evidence to support the claim.
Kyiv and Western nations have rejected Moscow’s claims.