The Beslan school hostage crisis
began when a group of armed rebels, demanding an end
to the Second Chechen War, took more than 1,100
schoolchildren and adults hostage on September 1,
2004, at School Number One in the town of Beslan,
North Ossetia-Alania, an autonomous republic in the
North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. On
the third day of the standoff, Russian security
forces stormed the building using tanks, thermobaric
rockets and other heavy weapons. A series of
explosions shook the school, followed by a fire
which engulfed the building and a chaotic gunbattle
between the hostage-takers and Russian security
forces. Ultimately, at least 334 hostages were
killed, including 186 children. Hundreds more were
wounded or missing.
Chechen separatist warlord Shamil Basayev took responsibility for the hostage taking but blamed the outcome on the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The tragedy led to security and political repercussions in Russia, most notably a series of government reforms consolidating power in the Kremlin and strengthening of the powers of President of Russia.
