Series of EmergencyNet News "Real-Time" Reports Concerning A Major Hostage Incident in Moscow, Russia: 24-02 Nov 2002

02 Nov 2002

Moscow Theater Attack Claimed By Chechen Warlord

RUSSIA: Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev has reportedly accepted responsibility for the mass hostage-taking at a Moscow theater ten days ago and promised new attacks. He also is said to had tendered his resignation from the rebel leadership and asked rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov for his forgiveness for not informing him of the operation. The Russian government accuses Maskhadov of orchestrating the attack himself and is demanding the extradition of one of his envoys, Akhmed Zakayev, from Denmark where he was arrested at Moscow's request after a conference on Chechnya on Wednesday.

Danish Justice authorities announced on Friday that they had yet to receive enough evidence to warrant Zakayev's extradition. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Moscow had provided Danish authorities with documents proving Zakayev is a terrorist, which were sufficient to justify Zakayev's extradition. Moscow issued the extradition request after a Chechen suicide squad seized a packed Moscow theater and took about 800 people hostage, threatening to kill them if Russia did not withdraw its forces from Chechnya immediately. About 115 hostages and 50 Chechen rebels lost their lives when Russian special forces stormed the building on the third day of the siege.

In a statement carried by the main Chechen rebel website Kavkaz-Tsentr, Basayev defended the hostage-taking for giving "all Russians a first-hand insight into all the charms of the war unleashed by Russia and take it back to where it originated from." The veteran warlord, who made his mark by personally leading a hostage-taking raid on the Russian town of Budyonnovsk in 1995 in which over 100 civilians died, said that in future Chechen rebels would "not make any demands and not take hostages." In a statement that was filled with the usual Islamic descriptive and religious  terms, Basayev said the rebels "main goal will be destroying the enemy and exacting maximum damage."

He also reportedly asked Maskhadov, the Chechen separatist leader ousted by Russian troops in 1999, to relieve him of all his posts except for command of the "Riyadus-Salikhin reconnaissance and sabotage battalion of shahids [martyrs]." ERRI analysts said any number of terrorist organizations try to separate their "political arm" from their "military operations arm" and that the statement may simply be an attempt to draw attention from Zakayev and try to delay or prevent his extradition.

30 Oct 2002

Russian Official Verifies That Fentanyl Was used in Assault on Chechen Hostage-Takers

By Paul Anderson, ERRI Analyst

MOSCOW, RUSSIA -- As previously reported here by EmergencyNet News, Russia on Wednesday identified the gas used to end a theater siege by Chechen rebels in Moscow. Russian Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko put an end to speculation Wednesday, saying the gas used was not a banned substance. "To neutralize the terrorists a substance based on Fentanyl derivatives was used," he said in comments broadcast on Russian television, adding that, on its own, the substance was not considered lethal.  

An official dispute continues, however, whether or not medical personnel were provided information about the nature of the gas that was used, and/or provided information about the use of antagonists that can reverse the negative effects opiate-based substances. ERRI's Clark Staten, a retired paramedic and U.S. Defense Dept. Weapons of Mass Destruction instructor with more than 20 years of street experience, said that in order to treat a Fentanyl overdose, Naloxone (Narcan) should have been given to the stricken patients by paramedics or physicians at the scene of the disaster, immediately after they were removed the danger of the tactical situation. "If the Special Forces were going to use a drug like Fentanyl in high concentrations, treatment capabilities for potential problems should have been pre-planned into the scenario and Emergency Medical Services personnel briefed and issued an adequate amount of the necessary drugs to treat those with an adverse effects to the gas," Staten said. 

Gas Used In Moscow Hostage Crisis Said To Be Identified

RUSSIA: According to US Embassy Moscow, the gas used by Russian security forces during the recent hostage crisis has been identified. The sleep-inducing substance was not a nerve gas as previously suspected, but an opiate which dulls the senses. At least 113 of the hostages who died in the theater are believed to have been poisoned by the gas. At least one reputable source identified the "sleeping gas" as Fentanyl, a fast-acting narcotic type drug. This report would seem to be supported by several reports from medical sources that treatment with the anti-narcotic antagonist Naloxone (Narcan) seemed to have a positive effect on the stricken patients.

According to the Moscow prosecutor's office, another four died of gunshot wounds. Two are known to have been killed by the rebels, but it is unclear whether the other two were killed by the hostage- takers or by Russian gunfire during Saturday's rescue mission. Most of the 50 hostage-takers, who were demanding Russian troops with- draw from the breakaway republic of Chechnya, were shot during the rescue mission.

The use of the gas has been widely condemned by some politicians as heavy handed and poorly planned -- not taking into account all the risks that were associated with its use. The Russian authorities refusal to name the type of gas used by its special forces as they tried to incapacitate the heavily armed terrorists has been particularly criticized.

Analysts say that medical personnel, who treated hostages, were ordered to administer naloxone, a medicine routinely given to patients who have overdosed on opiates such as heroin. Doctors who have been treating some of the foreign victims have also said that they believe the substance was an opiate. In too heavy a dose, an opiate can cause coma and death by shutting down breathing and circulatory systems.

Russian officials have cited security concerns for refusing to reveal the kind of gas used. Scores of the former hostages remain in area hospitals, some of them in critical condition. Their relatives are even said to be prevented from visiting them. Analysts say the high death toll continues to make the raid controversial, but the strategy is now being studied by a number of foreign intelligence agencies.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

Moscow Gas Mystery Continues

RUSSIA: Russian authorities are still under intense pressure to provide details of the gas used by troops who stormed a Moscow theater on Saturday in which hundreds of people were being held hostage by Chechen rebels. It is now admitted that almost all the hostages who died in the operation by special forces were killed by the poisonous substance. At least 117 hostages died when the three-day siege was ended.

The head of Moscow's city health committee, Andrei Seltovsky, said that only one of hostages held by Chechen gunmen died of gunshot wounds. He said nearly 650 of the rescued hostages are still being treated for gas poisoning in hospital, of whom 150 were in intensive care while 45 remained in a critical condition. Up to 50 Chechen rebels were killed during the attack, but it remains unclear how many of them died from the effects of the gas, and how many were shot to death.

General relief that the siege of the Moscow theater was over has given way to mounting concern about the methods used. The Russian refusal to say which type of gas was used has irritated several Western embassies in Russia. The United States has officially asked for more information, insisting it is crucial for the treatment of casualties.

One Russian expert said the gas used was a chemical weapons agent and blamed the high number of deaths on delays in administering the antidote. Lev Fyodorov, president of Russian's Union for Chemical Safety, said: "This was a military operation using non-lethal chemical weapons developed during the Cold War. They would have been intended for a military opponent." As such, Fyodorov said the authorities would be unable to prevent deaths of civilians in an enclosed space like the theater.

The gas was pumped into the theater to overcome the rebels before special forces went in. However the gas also killed or incapacitated many of the hostages, leaving some unconscious, with breathing problems and memory loss. Doctors said its effects resemble that of a general anesthetic used in high doses.

A number of Western experts have also pointed to chemical agents including one, BZ, used by the United States during the Vietnam war. But there is clearly a reluctance by the Russians to say what exactly was pumped into the theater. Doctors have described it but cannot -- or will not -- name it. But the symptoms, including drowsiness, confusion and nausea, suggest that this was some kind of incapacitating agent which was never designed to be used in this way. Although it is probably too late at this time to be effective, ERRI counter-terrorism analysts said today that the Russians might be/would have been better served by providing medical authorities with instructions concerning specific antidotes (if any) that would be effective against whatever agent was used.

A number of Western experts have already pointed the finger at BZ, a hallucinogenic drug developed by the US military and used, briefly, during the Vietnam war. It is not designed to kill, but like almost all chemical weapons, including the relatively mild tear gas, its effects, in large doses and confined spaces, can be catastrophic. The impact on individual hostages would have depended on a number of factors: their age, physical condition and how close they were sitting to the source of the gas.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

What Happened In Moscow?

RUSSIA: Russian authorities are coming under increasing pressure to reveal details about the type of gas used by special forces in a raid which ended a three-day siege at a Moscow theater. According to sources in Moscow, at least 390 freed hostages remained in area hospitals on Sunday, many in serious condition after being overcome by the effects of the gas. According to unofficial reports, Russian officials have instructed doctors not to let survivors out of hospital in case there are some hostage-takers hiding among the victims.

The latest health ministry statement says that 118 hostages and up to 50 Chechen rebels lost their lives after troops stormed the theater on Saturday. More than 700 Russian and foreign hostages were released. The special forces stormed the theater after pumping in the unidentified potent gas to disable the Chechen rebels. The gas also incapacitated many of their hostages, leaving some unconscious, with breathing problems and memory loss.

ERRI analysts said that it should be noted that in order for the use of any sort of "sleeping gas" to be effective...if must be in high concentrations, rapid acting and almost instantly incapacitating. Otherwise, the hostage-takers would have had time to shoot the hostages or detonate their prepared explosive charges. The problem, as described by experts, is that anything with sufficient strength to instantly immobilize the terrorists may also have adverse effects on the hostages.

Analysts say the Russian authorities are so far describing the gas used only as a "special substance." Military experts hypothesize that it could have been based on (or similar to) the hallucinogenic drug "BZ" -- one never used before by counter-terrorist forces in such circumstances. This theory has not be confirmed by Russian authorities. Another unofficial report suggests that the gas that was used is similar to that used in the operating room at hospitals for anesthesia. Russian Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev said none of the hostages died from inhaling the gas.

His statement, however, conflicted with a report on Moscow Radio which quoted doctors as saying some captives might have died as a secondary effect of breathing in the gas. Secondarily, it appears to conflict with statements by Andrei Seltsovsky, chairman of the health committee of the city of Moscow, who said only one of the around 800 hostages had died from gunshot wounds when elite troops stormed the musical theater early Saturday. Asked what the others had died from, he reportedly said: "From the effects of the gas exposure."

At first, all the 70 or so foreign hostages were believed to have survived, but on Sunday the Dutch Foreign Ministry said one of its nationals died from "gas poisoning." Officially, there are 40 patients who are still unconscious, but even those who have fully recovered are not being allowed out of the hospital. Police believe some of the Chechen rebels might be posing as civilian victims and they want to screen all the patients. There is one unconfirmed report that a terrorist was found in hospital, hiding among the victims.

The swift and bloody end to the Moscow theater siege came when Russian authorities realized time was running out for the hostages, and there was no option but to act quickly. Tensions inside and outside the building had risen in the early hours of Saturday morning. At around 02:30 hours local time (23:30GMT Friday), gunfire was heard inside the theater. The Chechen rebels had executed two hostages and shot and wounded two others.

Some hostages reportedly panicked and rose against their captors in a desperate attempt to escape. The situation deteriorated. An hour later, a large explosion and shots were heard. Then, after a two-hour lull, came more explosions and automatic weapons fire. Amid the confusion, and without consulting President Vladimir Putin, Special Forces officers took the decision to end the standoff, which by then was entering its third day.

A black van sped towards the building, while a squad of around 30 masked and heavily armed Russian elite Spetsnaz troops were seen moving into position. Using explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the theater, they pumped in gas with the aim of subduing the rebels. This however, created more panic in the auditorium. In desperation, one female hostage used a cellular phone to tell radio station Ekho Moskvy: "They are gassing us. All the people are sitting in the hall. We really beg not to be gassed. We hope it will not be like Kursk."

Troops poured into the auditorium -- some reportedly from the basement, where they had been preparing an assault for days -- and a fierce gun battle erupted. At least 50 rebels were killed in the onslaught, including leader Movsar Barayev, and women wearing explosives-packed belts.

Under fire from their remaining captors, some hostages desperately tried to flee the chaos. Five women were seen running from the building and bundled away by waiting emergency workers. Shortly after 0700 hours local time, a handful of surviving rebels surrendered and were seen being led away with their hands behind their backs by Russian troops.

The freed hostages then started to leave the building en masse, most looking confused, shaken and frightened. Explosives teams quickly moved in to defuse the large number of explosive devices the rebels had placed around the building. But as the firing died down, the grim toll of the operation became apparent, with dozens of injured hostages -- and bodies -- brought out. A fleet of ambulances ferried hundreds of injured people, many suffering from gas poisoning, to hospital.

Russian television broadcast images of the devastated auditorium strewn with bodies, discarded guns, explosives belts and other debris. Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev told reporters that most of the Chechen rebels were dead, while security officials confirmed that none of the gunmen escaped.  

(Various Wire services and confidential sources contributed to this report)

Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) - Emergency.com Sub-Menu
  Home     Products     Services     About Us     News     Contact Us  

26 Oct 2002

More than 100 Killed As Russian Special Forces Storm Hostage Theatre; 34 Chechen Rebels Killed

RUSSIA: Russian special forces early Saturday stormed the theater where Chechen gunmen were holding hundreds of hostages, killing their leader and thirty-four gunmen while freeing more than 700 captives. At least sixty-seven hostages reportedly died in the crisis. Other reports suggest that as many as ninety may have died.  According to unofficial reports, the raid was accompanied by the release of some sort of "sleeping (incapacitating) gas" inside the theater prior to the assault. Many of the freed hostages, who were taken to hospitals in city buses, were unconscious or having clear difficulty walking. All 75 foreign national hostages, including three American, were reportedly rescued.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Russians Storm Moscow Theater

RUSSIA: Russian security forces brought a sudden and dramatic end to the three-day siege in a Moscow theater, where hundreds of people were being held hostage by Chechen rebels. The head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Nikolai Patrushev, said 34 Chechen rebels were killed in the raid and a number of others were arrested. He said none had escaped.

But 67 hostages were also killed during the rescue operation. Russian Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev said more than 750 had been saved. Nearly 350 people were taken to area hospitals, many in serious condition. Most of the casualties were suffering from severe gas poisoning. Troops had released sleeping gas into the theater to subdue the rebels before they stormed the complex at about 0600 hours local time (0200 GMT).

The rebel leader, Movsar Barayev, was among those who was killed in a fierce gun battle between the rebels and hundreds of the heavily-armed special forces. Analysts say this was not a planned operation but one which was triggered by events. The rescue operation began when some of the hostages tried to escape after the rebels shot two of their captives and injured at least two others.

In the ensuing panic, the hostages inadvertently set off booby traps laid in the theater by the rebels. Russian special forces then rushed to their aid, engaging in a pitched gun battle which lasted more than an hour. About two hours later, the Russian television channel ORT showed pictures of the theater strewn with bodies, some severely mutilated, others with their heads down as if they had passed out.

Officials said none of the special forces had been killed or injured in the operation. Russian Deputy Interior Minister Vladimir Vasilyev said: "We succeeded in preventing mass deaths and the collapse of the building which we had been threatened with."

Observers said the hostages looked shocked and terrified as they emerged. A number of hostages were brought out unconscious. For some time after securing the theater, troops searched the extensive building for any remaining attackers and explosives. Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzov said about 30 accomplices of the rebels had been arrested in the Moscow area.

At least 20 ambulances were seen carrying casualties away from the scene. Forty-two survivors were taken to Moscow's Sklifosovsky hospital suffering the effects of poison gas. Their condition was described as poor. Russian authorities have not released any details of which gas was used.

The assault came three days after the Chechens seized control of the Palace of Culture theatre, about three miles southeast of the Kremlin. They demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and an end to the war there. On Friday, the rebels released 19 hostages, but negotiations to release others broke down.

08:00 Moscow time - 26 Oct 2002

At Least 35 Dead, Including Rebel Leader; Rescue Operations Continue at This Hour

Some Rebels May Still Be At Large...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- At least twenty-five ambulances are currently at the scene of a now resolved hostage situation in a theatre in Moscow. Russian Special Forces (Alpha, Spetznatz) stormed the building after at least two hostages had reportedly been killed. Automatic gunfire and explosions then ensued.

The exact number of dead and injured still remains unclear at this hour, as rescue operations continue. Russian officials have been quoted by several sources as saying that at least 35 Chechen guerillas had been killed during the assault, including separatist leader Movsar Barayev. Although the official number of injured and dead may continue to rise, Russian officials said that "most of the hostages have been saved" and that they are being provided medical treatment at this time. A number of persons, perceived to be hostages, were seen leaving the scene of the incident in buses.

Concerns have been raised that a number of Chechen rebels may have escaped from the scene in the confusion surrounding the assault on the theatre. An extensive manhunt is said to be underway at the time of this report. No official comment from Russian authorities has been made concerning that possible escape. 

The status of seventy-five (75) foreign nationals, including Americans, Britons, Dutch, Australians, Austrians and Germans is not currently known. EmergencyNet News will provide additional reports as circumstances warrant...

Update: 06:40 Moscow Time - 26 Oct 2002

At least 20 Dead; Russian Forces Take Control of Theatre Complex -- Siege Is Over

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- Numerous ambulances have been seen arriving at the theatre complex in Moscow after Russian Special forces assaulted the building. The theatre complex is now reportedly under the control of Russian authorities. According to reports coming from the scene, at least 20 people have been killed and possibly a large number of others wounded. Exact casualty counts are not available as Russian military and emergency service forces go through the building.  Explosives Ordinance disposal personnel are also being sent to the scene to assist in the defusing of explosive devices that were at several locations within the theatre.

Update: 05:50 Moscow Time - 26 Oct 2002

Assault May be Underway; Special Forces Seen Entering Building

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- According to witnesses as the scene of the hostage incident in Moscow, elite Russian troops were seen entering the building where more than 500 hostages are being held by Chechen militants. Heavy gunfire is being reported in the vicinity of the building. Reportedly, several personnel carriers were also seen advancing on the building. No official verification of an assault has been received, but it would appear that it may be underway, triggered by the killing of two hostages and the wounding of two others in the past hour. 

Update: 05:00 Moscow Time - 26 Oct 2002

More Shots and Explosions Heard Near Moscow Theatre

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- More activity was noted in the past few minutes near the theatre building where Chechen rebels are holding more than 500 Hostages. According to witnesses on the scene, at least three explosions and automatic gunfire was just heard. There was also reported troop movements in the area and one officially unconfirmed report said Russian forces have launched an assault...that has not been confirmed by Russian officials at this time.

Update: 3:30 Moscow Time - 26 Oct 2002

Activity Seen and Heard Near Hostage Theatre

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- An explosion and gunshots have been heard in the vicinity of the Moscow theatre where Chechen rebels are holding hundreds of hostages. A number of people with ballistic shields were also reportedly seen near the theatre building. There was no immediate indication of the reason for the blast, which apparently occurred inside the building, and Russian officials had no official comment about developments at the scene. The situation there is described as exceedingly tense, according to witnesses.

UPDATE: 19:00 Moscow Time - 25 Oct 2002

Hostage Crisis Could Escalate in Next 12 Hours

Moscow, Russia (EmergencyNet News) -- According to reports coming from the Russian capital, Chechen rebels have threatened to begin killing hostages within the next 12 hours unless negotiations result in a total Russian withdrawal from Chechnya.

At last count, at least 550 hostages are currently being held, including as many as 75 foreign nationals that have been identified as Americans, Britons, Dutch, Australians, Austrians and Germans. Russian officials have reportedly offered the safety of the Chechens, but that seemingly has not met the demands of the hard-line separatist rebels. "If the hostages are released, we will guarantee that the hostage-takers' lives are spared," FSB head Nikolai Patrushev reportedly said.

Should negotiations fail and the Chechens start shooting hostages, ERRI analysts said that an assault by Russian "Alpha" counter-terrorist forces is almost a foregone conclusion.

08:00CDT - 25 Oct 2002

Moscow Hostage Situation Continues

RUSSIA: Eight children have been released from the theater in Moscow where a group of Chechen guerrillas is holding hundreds of people hostage. The children were led from the building by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross who had held negotiations with rebels inside the building. Talks are continuing to try to secure the release of 75 foreign nationals among the hostages. The rebels reneged on an earlier promise to free them.

Seven people, all Russians, were let out early on Friday morning. The rebels are threatening to blow themselves and the hostages up unless Russia withdraws its troops from the breakaway republic of Chechnya -- they killed one woman and wounded another as she escaped. Conditions for the more than 600 captives, who have been held since the guerrillas stormed the theatre in the middle of a musical on Wednesday night, have worsened, after a hot water pipe in the basement burst, flooding the building.

Emergency services have pleaded with the hostage-takers to let them into the building to fix the broken pipe. But rebels are suspicious this could be a trick by the special forces, who have surrounded the building with elite teams, to gain access to the theater and force them out.

President Vladimir Putin has said his main concern is to save the lives of the hostages, and the security forces have said they will not storm the building unless the rebels start killing their captives. The atmosphere inside the theater is said to be becoming increasingly threatening, with reports that many of the hostages have been tied in their seats and some have had explosives strapped onto them.

The hostages have reportedly been living on a diet of water and chocolate from the theater cafe and the rebels have refused to allow hot food to be brought in. There are hopes that the release of the children -- aged between seven and 13 -- could pave the way for the freeing of foreigners. Two deadlines for the release of the foreign hostages have passed, with no sign of them being freed.

The foreign nationals include Americans, Britons, Germans, Dutch, Australians and Ukrainians. Relatives of foreign hostages who have spoken to their loved-ones, say the rebels want their cause to be as widely publicized as possible, to bring international pressure to bear on the Russian government. ERRI counter-terrorism analysts said that it is likely that the situation in Moscow could reach a critical stage within the next 24 hours...(See initial reports below)

INSTANT UPDATE - 16:15 GMT/12:15 EDT - 24 Oct 2002

Hostage Incident Continues; Negotiations Described as "Tough"

RUSSIA: The Chechen rebels holding at least 600 people hostage in a Moscow theatre have reportedly released five more people. One of those freed is thought to be a foreign national, although earlier attempts to release up to 30 Westerners appear to have been delayed. They repeated via one of the hostages an earlier threat to start shooting their captives if Russia failed to take their demands to withdraw its troops from Chechnya seriously.

Among those reportedly being held are four Americans, three Britons, seven Germans, two Canadians, two Austrians and two Dutch citizens. Ambassadors from several countries are now at the scene.

Dozens of heavily armed Chechen rebels stormed into the theatre in the south of Moscow in the middle of a sell-out performance of the hit musical Nord-Ost on Wednesday evening. Analysts say the rebels have succeeded in drawing world attention back to their cause. Separatists in the mainly Muslim region have waged two wars against Russia including the current three-year guerrilla campaign, and some groups have been involved in hostage-taking.

From all levels of authority in Russia, there are calls for restraint, for Russians to avoid revenge attacks on Chechens who live or work in Moscow. The rebels freed three children and five women on Thursday.

Earlier, a loud explosion was heard at the theatre. The rebels said it was caused by a grenade thrown into an empty room. There are reports that at least two Russian TV camera crews are being allowed into the building.

In cellular phone calls made to Russian TV before the phones were removed by the rebels, hostages said they were being treated relatively well. The rebels had requested blankets, food and water from the Russian authorities, which had been sent in.

Earlier, the hostage-takers' leader, Movsar Barayev, said they were a Chechen "suicide" unit demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. The rebels said they had shot a female Federal Security Service (FSB) officer who tried to enter the theatre, ignoring their warnings.

Two Russian politicians of Chechen extraction, Aslanbek Aslakhanov and Ruslan Khasbulatov, tried to mediate overnight but made no progress. A senior Russian Government official, Alexei Volin, said the security forces had two priorities: to save the hostages and make no concessions to the attackers.

Russian authorities have reportedly told the rebels that they will guarantee them safe passage to another country if all the hostages are freed unharmed. One female hostage told Russian TV that the attackers were ready to kill ten hostages for any one of their number killed as security forces try to intervene...

14:30CDT/22:30 Moscow time - 23 Oct 2002

Hundreds Reportedly Taken Hostage At Moscow Theatre

From the ERRI/EmergencyNet News Watchdesk

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (EmergencyNet News) -- In what appears to be a major hostage-taking event connected to the continuing conflict in Chechnya, in excess of twenty armed men have taken several hundred people hostage in a theatre. Shots have reportedly been fired at the scene, but it is not currently known if there are casualties. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the hostage-takers have booby-trapped the theatre with explosives.

Numerous police units, FSB agents, and an special "Alpha" counter-terrorist team have been sent to the scene and have cordoned off the area. The hostage-takers have reportedly released some children and those identified as Muslims, and said that they are demanding an end to the war in Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been notified of the incident and is said to be monitoring events closely. Few other official details are currently available... EmergencyNet News will provide additional data, if/when it becomes available...

This page has been accessed Times
Powered by counter.bloke.com

© EmergencyNet News Service, 2002. All rights reserved. May not be redistributed or otherwise published without the expressed permission of ERRI/EmergencyNet News.

Emergency Response & Research Institute
6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312
Chicago, IL. 60646
(773) 631-3774 - Voice
(773) 631-4703 - Fax
(773) 631-3467 - Modem/Emergency BBS On-Line
http://www.emergency.com - Main Webpage
webmaster@emergency.com - E-mail

Return to the EmergencyNet News page