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Timeline: Beslan school seizure
04/09/2004 07:55 - (SA)
Timeline of Russian school seizure in southern Russia. All times are local, some are approximate.
Wednesday, 1 September 1
09:00 - School seized by gunmen, shots exchanged with police. Death toll reports range from two to eight. More than a dozen wounded. Some attackers reported wearing suicide-bomb belts.
12:00 - More gunfire, explosions reported.
16:40 - At least 12 children and one adult escape after hiding in boiler room, authorities say.
19:30 - Authorities establish contact with hostage takers.
Thursday, 2 September
10:15 - The Kremlin announces that President Vladimir Putin cancelled a trip to Turkey. Would have been first state visit by Russian leader for bilateral talks since Soviet collapse.
14:00 - Putin makes his first public comments on the standoff, calling the school seizure "horrible" and promising that all efforts by authorities will be devoted to the "main task... to save the lives and health of those who became hostages."
Afternoon - Ruslan Aushev, Afghan war hero and former president of neighboring Ingushetia region, holds talks with hostage-takers in school gym. Aushev later credited with securing hostage releases.
16:45 - First hostages released, women and small children taken to safety. A total of 26 released, though one woman returns to school to remain with still-captive children.
20:00 - Officials say the number of hostages, previously thought to be around 350, could be more than 1 000.
21:00 - Local legislator says 20 male hostages were executed inside school. Negotiations with the hostage-takers continues, after overnight suspension, with efforts to persuade militants to allow a delivery of water, food and medicine for the captives.
Friday, 3 September
01:00 - Two loud bangs heard, authorities call it unprovoked firing by hostage-takers. One policeman reported wounded.
13:00 - Emergency workers approach school with agreement of militants to retrieve bodies of dead hostages that have been lying in front of the building for two days.
13:20 - Explosions heard, possibly set off accidentally by militants. Hostages take it as signal to flee, militants open fire on fleeing hostages, security forces return fire, lead 30 women and children to safety.
13:45 - Militants begin fleeing building. Security forces pursue them in the town and storm the school building.
14:00 - More hostages freed. Ambulances and private cars take hundreds of wounded to hospitals. Scattered shooting heard as security forces search streets and nearby buildings for fleeing militants, some of them apparently women who have disguised themselves in hostages' clothing.
14:30 - As Russian commandos take control of most of the school, they blow a hole in a wall of the school to aid hostage escape.
15:17 - Most of the hostages are reportedly evacuated. At least 100 bodies are seen in the school gymnasium, some apparently killed when part of the roof collapsed in initial explosions.
15:25 - Thirteen escaped militants are reportedly holed up in a local home, surrounded by tanks. Intermittent gunfire continues at school.
19:15 - At least three militants still hold some hostages, including children, inside the school where troops fight fiercely for their release, security officials say.
19:50 - A strong explosion sounds inschool building. Soon after, officials say the fighting was over, but that two militants remained at large. It was not clear whether they still held hostages.
22:15 - Crisis center reports that militants' resistance on the school grounds has ended, though four hostage-takers remain at large.
The death toll could be well above 250, according to the top federal security chief in North Ossetia. At least 27 militants have been killed in the fighting, including 10 Arabs, officials say. The ITAR-Tass news agency reported 646 people were wounded, including 332 children.
- AP
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