World mourns Beslan victims

ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 7, 2004 Tuesday

MOSCOW, September 7 — The total number of victims of the last week’s
terrorist act in the North Ossetian city of Beslan is 705, including
307 children.

Thirty people, including ten children, died in hospitals.

A book of condolences over the terrorist act in Beslan was opened for
the second day at the Russian Embassy in Britain on Tuesday. Dozens
of people made entries expressing deep sympathy to the next of kin
of those killed in Beslan.

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos conveyed his condolences to the
Russian nation in connection with the hostage-taking raid in North
Ossetia. At a ceremony in memory of the Beslan victims, he wrote a
note in a book of condolences opened at the Russian Embassy in Nicosia.

A book of condolences was opened at the Russian Embassy in the
Netherlands for a second day. On Tuesday morning, speaker of the
parliament’s first chamber /Senate/ Yvonne Timmerman-Buck arrived at
the Embassy to put her signature in the book and express her sincere
condolences.

Mongolia “condemns the terrorist acts in Beslan, which shocked the
world with their cruelty,” President Natsagiyn Bagabandi said in
a statement he signed on Tuesday together with parliament speaker
Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Prime Minister Tsakhiagiyn Elbedorj.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour
expressed profound condolences to the Russian people over the tragedy
in Beslan. She visited on Tuesday the permanent Russian mission at
the United Nations Office and other international organizations at
Geneva and made an entry in the Book of condolences. She expressed
profound solidarity with people of Beslan at this tragic moment and
wrote she shares the grief of the parents who lost their children.

Bulgarian President Georgy Pyrvanov, visiting the Russian embassy
in Sofia, expressed compassion for the relatives of those who were
killed in the terrorist act in Beslan. He wrote this in his entry to
the Book of condolences opened at the Russian diplomatic mission. The
Bulgarian president placed flowers at the candles lit in memory of
the victims of the terrorist act.

Norway sent aid for those who were affected by the terrorist act. A
planeload of medicines and medical equipment arrived in Vladivostok
from Oslo. The plane has on board everything necessary for performing
over 1,000 surgical operations. Besides, three ambulances and
anaesthetic equipment were sent to North Ossetia.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed up in the book of
condolences at the Russian embassy in Yerevan on Tuesday. Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan also visited the embassy.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands that currently
presides in the European Union presented condolences to families of
the Beslan victims on Tuesday.

Balkenende said they shared the mourning of Beslan residents and
prayed for them. He said they were shaken by the death of hundreds
of innocent people, including children.

Bernadette Chirac, the wife of the French president, expressed on
behalf of her family profound condolences to the Russian people and
government in connection with the tragedy in Beslan. She received on
Tuesday prominent Russian doctor Leonid Roshal now staying in France.

“It was apparent how concerned Bernadette Chirac was with the tragedy
in North Ossetia”, Leonid Roshal told Tass.

Japan supports the fight against terrorism conducted by the Russian
government and people and is going to strengthen solidarity with
Russia in this fight, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi
said. She visited on Tuesday the Russian embassy in Japan and made
an entry in the Book of condolences.