The siege ended on September 3, 2004, killing over 330 people, including 186 children, and injuring over 700.
Some reports suggest that 31 of the 32 hostage takers were killed. Two women were reportedly among the militants.
The siege took place on the first day of classes in Beslan.
The hostages reportedly wore suicide belts, and bombs were tied to basketball goals in the gymnasium.
Time
Armed Chechen rebels took some 1,200 children and adults hostage at a school in Beslan.
– 4:40 p.m. – 12 children and an adult escape, hiding in the boiler room.
– 7:30 pm – Contact has been established with the hostage takers.
– President Vladimir Putin Cancels a trip to Turkey and makes a public statement about the seizure of the school.
– 4:45 pm – About 26 hostages were released.
– 9:00 p.m. – Local officials say about 20 male hostages are executed.
– 1:00 p.m. – Local authorities allow hostage-takers to remove bodies lying in front of the school, which have been there since the siege began. After a few minutes a loud bang is heard. The hostages begin to flee the building and are shot. The terrorists also start running away from the building. The roof of the gymnasium, where hundreds of hostages are kept, collapses, killing many.
– 2:30 p.m. – Russian commandos capture the school and free several hostages.
– 3:17 pm – Most of the hostages have reportedly been taken out.
– The siege ends with the death of over 330 hostages; Half of them are children.
18 May 2005 – The trial begins for Nur-Pashi Kulayev, the only person accused in the case. He was the only hostage to be captured alive.
16 May 2006 – Kulayev was found guilty of terrorism and other charges in the first part of his verdict. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 26 May.
22 December 2006 – A Russian parliamentary commission issued a report on the investigation of the massacre. The report blames Chechen guerrillas for the high death rate and exonerates Russian security forces. Some families condemn the report as a cover-up.
September 19, 2017 – The Russian news agency Interfax reports that Russia will comply with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to pay the damages awarded by the court in April 2017, citing a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Justice.
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