Beslan holds memorial events of casualties at school seizure by militants

North Ossetia has begun three-day mourning of the victims of the terror act in Beslan school committed in September 2004. Beslan residents come to school, holding photos of their perished children and relatives.

On September 1, 2004, a group of militants captured 1128 hostages in a school of the North-Ossetian town of Beslan. The terror act resulted in death of 186 children and 148 adults; 728 Beslan residents and 55 law enforcers were wounded. At the storming of the school, 12 special agents and a local resident, who helped free the hostages, were killed.

Apart from Beslan residents, the commemoration event was attended by the head of North Ossetia Taimuraz Mamsurov, heads of ministries and agencies of the republic. According to estimates of the local MIA, by 9 o'clock in the morning, more than 700 people have already gathered near the school, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

At 9.15 a.m. a school bell rang; and then the people went to the school gym, where the hostages were kept for three days, to lay flowers and put memorial candles.

The Beslan residents who lost their relatives are now in the gym and mourn for the dead. A medical emergency centre is deployed in the school yard.