Russia began two days of mourning on Monday as the death toll in the Beslan school siege continued to rise beyond the tallies of all previous terrorist attacks to hit the country. Local doctors said 386 people remained in hospital and a number had been flown to Moscow and regional centres for emergency operations. More than 150 people are still unaccounted for.

The country's security services are likely to receive reinforced powers in a shake-up in the wake of the Beslan school siege that left more than 340 people dead and many hundreds more injured when the school was stormed last Friday.