Russia,Chechnya and other issues in the area

around two dozen freed, among other the above mentioned persons.

According the freed peoples there are more hostages: Around 1000.

Just read they have said the number of hostages is approximately 1,500

other said around 1000. But that is in any case, too much.

I've just heard the latest reports on radio .... A truly shocking situation.

Released hostage says 1500 held
September 3, 2004 - 3:21PM/Age

A hostage released from a provincial Russian school said there are at least 1,500 people being held there by armed militants, the Izvestia newspaper reported today.

A local legislator announced a similar figure, challenging far-lower official numbers.

Russian officials had said that about 350 people were being held by raiders who seized the school in the North Ossetian city of Beslan on Wednesday.

But a teacher who was among at least 26 women and children released today disputed that.

"On television they say that there are 350 of us. That's not right. There's not less than 1,500 in the school," Izvestia quoted the woman as saying on condition of anonymity.

Earlier today, local legislator Azamat Kadykov told a meeting packed with worried relatives and friends that the number of hostages was "more or less 1,000".

The statements were a new blow to the morale of hostage relatives, who spent the night in hope and dread - buoyed by the release of dozens of women and children but alarmed by grenades fired from the building.

Valery Andreyev, chief of the regional office of the Federal Security Service, meanwhile said that contacts with the hostage-takers had resumed in the morning, following an overnight suspension, but stopped again.

- AP

well, situation is desperate enough whatever real number is - but we have to keep in mind that in such situations people tend to hype numbers (like 350 is not bad enough), they simply don't think clearly in such terrible situation.

If I recall correctly Giuliani said hours after WTC attacks that there are at least 20,000 dead

..and If I recall it correctly, he said that there 20,000 to 50,000 are dead.

Well, what is true MOU (or at least, that's what I've heard) is that the number of children attending the first day at school was around 600 (the school has room for 1,100 children), excluding the hundreds of (grand)parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles joining them.

If I remember correctly, there was at first around 300, then 450 , later around 600 and now so around 1000. We should all hope that there are anymore inside and probably die.

I agree.

However many there are, it's looking like a very desperate situation. We are hearing reports of the captors firing over childrens' heads to stop them crying, children who have been deprived of water for days attempting to drink water from toilets & the captors stopping them .... shocking conditions inside the school & despair outside, as the families of the children wait ...

oh,oh dangerous. Any explosion hears, the roof collapses battles and children in their underwear seen being carried away.

Yes - thirty escaped - more seem to be emerging...some look ok - many injured - Russians now speaking of 1,500 hostages.....most of the kids I am seeing are alive, at least...

I just put on CNN, and than Dutch television, and it seems that a lot of people have escaped. Those are really shocking images. All those children, almost naked, thirsty, some wounded, some not able to walk ...

it is still dramatical, because special forces storm it, according to reports.

Most of the house under control of the forces, any Russian news agencies reports.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/09/03/russia.school/index.html


"Russian forces storm school
Reports: Most children alive, five hostage-takers dead
Friday, September 3, 2004 Posted: 6:25 AM EDT (1025 GMT)



BESLAN, Russia (CNN) -- Special forces have stormed a school in southern Russia after dozens of hostages escaped as the building's roof collapsed, Russian news agencies reported.

Interfax said Russian commandos were in control of most of the school Friday. Russian television NTV said five of the hostage-takers were killed.

Interfax quoted a Russian official as saying most of the children hostages are alive.

"Those children who remained in the school, in general, did not suffer. The ones who suffered were the children in the group which ran from the school and on whom the fighters opened fire," Interfax quoted the official as saying, Reuters reported.

Several loud explosions and small-arms fire were heard for nearly an hour near the school where armed hostage-takers have been holding hundreds of children, parents and teachers.

Children who escaped in their underwear were crowded into a makeshift area surrounded by Russian military vehicles outside the school.........."

"Those children who remained in the school, in general, did not suffer. The ones who suffered were the children in the group which ran from the school and on whom the fighters opened fire," Interfax quoted the official as saying, Reuters reported. ''

uhoh ... this is not sounding good.

exactly, around 158 children taken to hospital and gunfire and large explosions break out again there.

I just heard a report saying that children were used as "human shields" by the captors. God I hope this isn't a monumental stuff-up!