This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/8231597.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Beslan mourns deadly school siege | Beslan mourns deadly school siege |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Russia is marking the fifth anniversary of the Beslan siege in which more than 330 people died after a school was seized by Chechen rebels. | Russia is marking the fifth anniversary of the Beslan siege in which more than 330 people died after a school was seized by Chechen rebels. |
| The rebels, who held more than 1,000 people hostage, demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. | The rebels, who held more than 1,000 people hostage, demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. |
| The siege ended three days later when security forces stormed the building. Those killed in the ensuing battle included 186 children. | The siege ended three days later when security forces stormed the building. Those killed in the ensuing battle included 186 children. |
| Five years on, the people of Beslan are still haunted by what happened there. | Five years on, the people of Beslan are still haunted by what happened there. |
| Hostages had been forced into the school gymnasium, held without food or water beneath homemade bombs taped to basketball hoops. | Hostages had been forced into the school gymnasium, held without food or water beneath homemade bombs taped to basketball hoops. |
| The siege ended in disaster when those bombs exploded and Russian soldiers stormed the building, which also came under tank-fire. | The siege ended in disaster when those bombs exploded and Russian soldiers stormed the building, which also came under tank-fire. |
| Mothers fight for justice | Mothers fight for justice |
| No one knows who ordered the tanks to fire at the school when so many children were being held inside, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Beslan. | No one knows who ordered the tanks to fire at the school when so many children were being held inside, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Beslan. |
| One girl who survived told me it was more frightening than Hell Rita SidakovaVictim's mother class="" href="/2/hi/europe/8232568.stm">Life in Beslan after school siege class="" href="/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8227119.stm">The children of Beslan five years on class="" href="/2/hi/europe/8229443.stm">Could Beslan happen again? | |
| The shell of School Number One is still standing as a haunting reminder of the town's tragedy, adds our correspondent, who reported on the siege in 2004. | The shell of School Number One is still standing as a haunting reminder of the town's tragedy, adds our correspondent, who reported on the siege in 2004. |
| Starting early on Tuesday morning, a steady stream of mourners laid flowers and lit candles in memory of the friends and relatives who died there. | Starting early on Tuesday morning, a steady stream of mourners laid flowers and lit candles in memory of the friends and relatives who died there. |
| Grieving mothers stood, sobbing, in front of the pictures of siege victims adorning the school walls - many showing the faces of young children. | Grieving mothers stood, sobbing, in front of the pictures of siege victims adorning the school walls - many showing the faces of young children. |
| Rita Sedakova, whose nine-year-old daughter was killed in the siege, said 39 people died from her apartment block alone. | Rita Sedakova, whose nine-year-old daughter was killed in the siege, said 39 people died from her apartment block alone. |
| "The fire burned for two hours and forty minutes and no one put it out," she told the BBC. | "The fire burned for two hours and forty minutes and no one put it out," she told the BBC. |
| "The children were burned alive in the school. Many were already so weak from thirst they couldn't even fight for their lives. | "The children were burned alive in the school. Many were already so weak from thirst they couldn't even fight for their lives. |
| "One girl who survived told me it was more frightening than Hell." | "One girl who survived told me it was more frightening than Hell." |
| While the one hostage-taker who was caught alive is now serving a life sentence, the fact that no officials have been punished for the huge loss of life makes the pain felt by survivors and relatives of victims even keener, says our correspondent. | While the one hostage-taker who was caught alive is now serving a life sentence, the fact that no officials have been punished for the huge loss of life makes the pain felt by survivors and relatives of victims even keener, says our correspondent. |
| Siege survivors are coping with their trauma in different ways, she adds, with some finding in solace in religion and others turning to drink, while many of the mothers have focused their energy on fighting for answers and justice. | Siege survivors are coping with their trauma in different ways, she adds, with some finding in solace in religion and others turning to drink, while many of the mothers have focused their energy on fighting for answers and justice. |