Bloody end to Russia school siege (from BBC)

[~*Belle 2003*~]

It is not clear how many hostages are free.

Russian troops have stormed the school in North Ossetia where hundreds of children and adults have been held hostage since Wednesday.

Some reports say all the hostages have now been brought out of the school, but there are continuing scenes of chaos.

Heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard as ambulances rushed scores of casualties to nearby hospitals.

Unconfirmed reports say that at least 10 people have been killed and up to 200 wounded.

Several of the hostage takers are also reported to have died in exchanges of fire with troops as they tried to escape, Reuters reports.

Some are reported to have blown themselves up, but others appear to have got away, says the BBC's Jonathan Charles.

AT A GLANCE (TIMES IN GMT)
1153: Officials say 250 hostages wounded, including 180 children - AP
1150: At least five bodies outside school
1125: Security forces attack house where 13 rebels thought to be hiding - reports
1115: All hostages reported out of school
1030: 158 people reported hospitalised
1005: Russian troops said to be nearly in full control
0958: Special forces enter school
0930: School roof said to have collapsed
0914: 30 hostages escape
0905: Explosions and gunfire heard. Soldiers run to building

Correspondents say many of those released were desperate for water when they came out, and some were barely able to stand.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford said at least 150 children have been taken to hospital.

A large number of people had earlier been seen fleeing the premises, many of them covered in blood.

Helicopters hovered overhead and there were troops everywhere.

Sarah Rainsford says a man who had been inside the building told her there had been an explosion and a wall had collapsed. This had been followed by gunfire and many more explosions.

It is unclear what caused the initial explosion.


Pandemonium

There is pandemonium in the streets surrounding the school, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas, who is also at the scene.

On Thursday, 26 women and young children were released, and some of them provided the first details of conditions inside the school.

"You know there are not 300 people in there, but altogether 1,500. People are lying on top of each other," 27-year-old teacher Zalina Dzandarova told the Kommersant newspaper.

Officials put the number of hostages at 354 before Thursday's release, although the school has more than 1,000 pupils.

Trip wires were believed to have been laid around the school, with the attackers threatening to blow it up if it was stormed by police.

Relatives were running around screaming and crying

Eyewitness: Chaos as battle grips school
Hundreds of relatives of those being held inside the school who had been waiting anxiously outside the security cordon reacted in panic to the outbreak of fighting.

Officials said the release of the 26 people on Thursday came after mediation efforts by the former President of the neighbouring region of Ingushetia, Ruslan Aushev.

The attackers - both men and women, some wearing bomb belts -struck on Wednesday, the first day of the new school year in Russia.

Many parents and other relatives were inside the school, helping their children celebrate the new year, when the assault began.

The hostage-takers are Chechen and they were demanding full independence for their republic, says Sarah Rainsford.

 

[Serena]

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I just do not understand how these monsters could do this. I just do not understand it at all. I saw them on tv last night taking a baby away and a small child. I heard the children are stripped down to their underwear or nude inside the school because it is so hot inside they are afraid of overheating.

I'm just hoping that most of the wounded are able to survive.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Just awful. God bless all those people.

 

[miche61]

I have been watching for news of this, only a one minute blurb was on last night's news here.

Russia does not have air conditioning in many buildings. They actually keep their buildings quite warm, it seemed as though the temp was in the 80's in all the buildings I've been in there. So I can see that they would take off as much as they could. I also heard the clothes were removed because they were soiled. Many Russians do not use disposable diapers, and some dont' use diapers at all, so babies would be soiled.

I am anxious to hear their final outcome. They have been in my prayers since this happened.

 

[Bob Slydell]

 

[aprincessmom]

I was listening to NPR on the way into work and they had a reporter describing the scene...it was just horrific. Bodies, parts of bodies, children obviously dead from the fighting...my heart is just broken for those poor, defenseless children and their families.

 

[HollyJoy]

It's just so sad. Why do people do such things?

 

[SandraM]

It is horrific there, and not over yet. An ITV reporter was just saying that his cameraman got a quick look into the gym where the hostages had been held, and he estimated there were up to 100 bodies on the smouldering floor of the ruined gym.
To see little children coming out of the school covered in blood and wearing virtually nothing is heartbreaking. Apparently they were reduced to drinking urine.
How on earth could people do this to kids? What cause in the world could possibly be worth it?

 

[tidoublegger]

Can you imagine the long-term emotional damage done to these kids? The whole situation is just tragic...

~Tracy~

 

[LauraR]

Those terrorists are infuriating. I don't care how justified they think their cause is, or how much the Chechens have suffered, they have no right to attack an elementary school. I can't image what the parents are going through right now, and the suffering the hostages have been through. I heard the terrorists weren't even allowing the children to have food or water during the ordeal. I'd want to annihilate those terrorists if I were the Russians.

 

[Aimeedyan]

So tragic... makes me cry to just think about it.

=(

 

[charlie,nj]

God Bless those children...

 

[Aimeedyan]

Alright. Finally saw some footage and just sat and cried while watching...

 

[Deb in IA]

Reports are that it was over 90 degrees in the school, and the children were not allowed water or to use the bathroom.

Not even allowed to drink from the tap.

The children that were brought out were gasping for water.



Truly horrific . . .

 

[nuke]

That is just awful!

 

[Keli]

This whole situation just makes me sick. It's so horrific. I don't understand these muslem extreemests. They don't seem to value any human life, even the lives of small children. It's unbelievable to me that a whole group of people (how many rebels were there? At least 25-30 and that group included women) would have no compassion on small children. I just don't get it.

 

[catherine]

The latest reports are that over 100 people have been killed, 409 are injured (219 of them are children) They are also reporting that some of the children are still being held hostage by the 3 hostage takers that are holed up in the basement of one of the buildings.

It was reported that the reason the children were not wearing any clothes was because if the children asked for a drink the hostage takers would strip the children's clothes of, soak the clothes in water, and then return the clothes to the children, telling them to suck the water out of their clothes if they were so thirsty!

What type of person does these sorts of things to innocent children?

 

[~*Belle 2003*~]

Latest News from BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3624024.stm

 

[bigbabyblues]

My heart breaks for the little children and their poor parents. I can't imagine the feelings when my baby is in a dangerous situation and I can do nothing at all for him.