North Ossetia: Beslan holds Memory Days of terror act victims under enhanced security measures

Today, in connection with the mourning events and the Day of Knowledge enhanced security measures were adopted in North Ossetia. In the territory of the Beslan secondary school No. 1, psychologists work and doctors are on duty in case of need of emergency medical care. Many journalists, including those from China, came to the republic. They want to prepare a series of articles about the tragedy in Beslan and the city's present-day life.

Let us remind you that on September 1, 2004, a group of terrorists seized 1128 hostages at school of the North Ossetian city of Beslan. As a result, 186 children and 148 adults were killed, 728 residents of Beslan and 55 power agents were injured. During the storming of the school, 12 officers of special services and a local resident, who helped to rescue the hostages, were killed.

According to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, a bell ringing today in the yard of the school No. 1 in Beslan at 9:15 a.m. marked the beginning of mourning events - exactly at this time seven years ago, terrorists attacked the school and took hostages from those who came to the school to visit a traditional parade in honour of the Day of Knowledge.

After the bell, the man's voice read a verse dedicated to the memory of the victims. After the bell the people, who gathered today in the schoolyard, went to the gym to lay flowers at the photographs of those who perished there in September 2004.

The territory, adjacent to the Beslan secondary school No. 1, was cordoned off, additional crews of GAI (road police) were on duty, people could enter the yard of secondary school passing through metal detectors, volunteers provided assistance to the local police officers.

Taimuraz Mamsurov, the leader of North Ossetia, Igor Levitin, Russian Transport Minister, who arrived in the republic, heads of executive authorities and local self-government, MPs, delegations from the rural areas of the republic, public representatives and numerous guests came to the school and paid the tribute to the memory of victims of the terror act.

100 journalists, including media representatives at federal, regional and republic's level, and foreign correspondents came to Beslan to highlight the Days of Memory of the victims of the terror act.

Starting from the morning, Luigi Ottani, the professional photographer, representing the journalist community of the Italian city of Bologna, operates in Beslan. He arrived in North Ossetia among the participants of the fifth international art symposium "Alanika", which was opened on August 25 in the city of Vladikavkaz. According to Luigi Ottani, the photographs, which he will shoot during the mourning events, will be of interest not only to his colleagues-artists, working on the creative forum, but also for the inhabitants of Italy.

The other days, journalists of international radio from China and the newspaper "Zhenmin Zhibao" (People's Daily) came to the republic. According to reporter Yan Si, the creative team arrived in Beslan for the first time in order to prepare a series of materials.

Today, the whole day in the territory of the secondary school No. 1 in Beslan morning music will be played, at 8:00 p.m. candles will be lit in the schoolyard and on the Memorial Cemetery, where the victims of the terror act are buried.