23:29, 6 July 2004

Chechen girl comes for treatment to Ireland

Aset Makhamaeva, an eight-year-old girl from Chechnya who had lost her hands and an eye because of a booby-trap explosion, arrived on July 5 to Dublin, the capital of the Irish Republic, accompanied by a relative. The little war victim will be fitted with prosthetics. Aset's going to Ireland has become possible thanks to a cooperative effort taken by the Irish based Frontline foundation and the Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship.

The tragedy occurred in Alpatovo, Naurskaia district, Chechnya, on December 13. The girl found an object in the street which she thought was someone's lost lighter. She put it into her pocket and brought home. In a while, she asked her mother to give her something to eat. The mother saw she had run out of matches to reheat the meal and the girl then remembered about her "lighter." She took the object out of her pocket and pressed the button. Right after she did that, there was an explosion that tore away both of the girl's hands. Small plastic splinters also injured Aset's left eye, face and breast.

Source: Society for Russian-Chechen Friendship