Today school No1 has started mourning for the events of 2004, RIA Novosti reports.
The school bell rang at 9.15, the same time as the terrorists attacked the school 6 years ago. A man read out verse dedicated to the memory of the victims.
2,000 people gathered, which is more than there were last year. The head of North Ossetia, Taymuraz Mamsurov, arrived to lay flowers, two of his children were also hostages in 2004.
After the bell people went to the sports hall to lay flowers at photographs of the victims. Psychologists and doctors are at the school prepared to give first aid.
Additional security measures were taken. People go through metal detectors to enter the school. There are three rings of security around the school.
A group of terrorists led by Rasul Khachbarov, code-named the Colonel, attacked the school on September 1st 2004. A covered truck with terrorists arrived. They opened fire above the heads of people and forced everyone into the school building, most of them were taken to the sports hall, which was then rigged with explosive devices.
On September 3rd, a car with 4 members of the Emergencies Ministry arrived to take the bodies of the people killed by the terrorists. At this moment an explosion occured, gunfire was opened from both sides. Children and women started jumping from the hole that had been blown into the sports hall wall (almost all the male hostages were killed in the first two days).
334 people became victims of the tragedy, including 318 hostages, 186 of whom were children. 10 members of the special center of the FSB, 2 members of the Emergencies Ministry and 15 policemen were killed. 810 hostages, members of the FSB, police and the military were injured.
The mourning will continue for 3 days. Mourning music will be heard from morning to evening. People will be carrying flowers and wreaths. In the evening candles will be lighted at the school and the cemetery of Beslan, where the victims of the tragedy are buried.
