The storming of the besieged Russian school descended into chaos as Russian forces battled militants at the same time as relatives searched the building for surviving hostages. Loud explosions and gunfire resounded from the school in Beslan North Ossetia, as Moscow said its special forces had been forced to act as the hostage crisis deteriorated.

There were scenes of panic as hostages, many of them badly injured, fled from the armed rebels. Reports said that more than 600 people, 200 of them children, had been taken to hospital whilst fears grew over the fate of the many that remained inside the heavily mined building after the three-day siege. At least 10 hostages were confirmed to have died although that figure is certain to climb. Later reports said up to a 100 bodies had been found in the school gymnasium where part of the roof collapsed after the hostage takers ignited mines.

Fifteen militants were said to have escaped into the town and sought refuge in a house which was later surrounded by troops.


It was unclear what had sparked the storming of the school after President Vladimir Putin had stressed the importance of preserving lives and as negotations were set to resume. It was reported that a female hostage taker had accidentlally blown herself up causing an explosion that spread alarm among waiting troops and prompted them to act.

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass claimed that Russian forces were now ‘almost in complete control’ of the school, although this was greeted with scepticism by bystanders witnessing the bloody chaos. Anxious relatives and the media were free to roam the school grounds and there seemed to be no coordinated plan in place. Three hours after the first explosions were heard the siege was far from over. A full-scale gun-battle raged at the same time as civilians searched for school for survivors.

The armed gang, who entered the school on Wednesday - the first day of the new school year - demanded the end of the war in the breakaway republic of Chechnya and the withdrawal of Russian troops. They also called for the release of a number of rebels suspected by the authorities of involvement in raids in Ingushetia in June.