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NOssetian city of Beslan mourns for victims of terrorists' school seizure

The mourning ceremony began with the school bell ringing on the ruins of School No One

Photo ITAR-TASS / Sergey Uzokov

Photo ITAR-TASS / Sergey Uzokov

BESLAN, September 1 (Itar-Tass) - Three-day Memory Watch begins in Beslan to remember the victims of the hostage seizure that was committed nine years ago.

The mourning ceremony began with the school bell ringing on the ruins of School No One.

At 09:15 Moscow time on September 1, the bell rang at the school yard, and people began to lay flowers in the gymnasium, where terrorists held more than 1,200 people as hostages for three days in 2004.

Mourning music will be heard for three days in the yard and the gymnasium, according to the tradition. Residents of Beslan and the republic will light candles and bring drinking water bottles, toys and fresh flowers to the site.

The republic’s head Taimuraz Mamsurov is among the first to lay flowers in the school. His son and daughter were also among the hostages.

In that tragedy, 334 people, including 186 children, died during the terrorists' seizure or later died of wounds, and 126 former hostages, including 70 children, became disabled. More than 100 people still need rehabilitation.

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