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[quote:18a98]Gas killed 116 hostages: Moscow doctor
Last Updated Sun, 27 Oct 2002 13:50:48
MOSCOW - Moscow's chief doctor said on Sunday that gas killed most of the 117 hostages who died after special forces stormed the theatre where they were being held.

Survivors of the crisis in downtown Moscow began to trickle out of hospitals on Sunday, but 650 remained in hospital, a third of them in serious condition.


BACKGROUNDER: Chechnya

Russian officials refuse to name the gas released inside the theatre before troops stormed in before dawn Saturday, apparently not even letting doctors treating the injured know what they are dealing with.

A small number of former hostages have been released from hospitals

Government officials continued on Sunday morning to deny that any of the hostages died from exposure to the gas.

But the city's chief physician said all but one of the 117 dead hostages were killed by the gas.

Earlier on Sunday, the Dutch embassy said a Dutch woman who had been a hostage had died in hospital from the effects of the gas.

Officials had not informed hostages' relatives of their condition by Sunday afternoon, or even where they had been taken after buses whisked the survivors away.

Many of the hostages were in shock or unconscious when they came out of the theatre, apparently suffering from gas poisoning.


FROM OCT. 26, 2002: Bloody end to Moscow hostage crisis

Toronto resident Vesselin Nedkov, one of two people with Canadian connections to survive the hostage ordeal, told CBC Newsworld he woke up in hospital and suffered strong convulsions all over his body for about an hour.

"Most of the people there had very strong forms of intoxication," he said. "They were actually vomiting black stuff. I didn't have those symptoms but most of them did."

A small number of hostages began to emerge from hospitals on Sunday, as relatives gathered outside, hoping to meet their families.

Anxious relatives wait for news

Angered by the lack of information available, some said their families were hostages again.

Some stood in the street and called names toward the hospital windows.

Officials promised to post lists on Sunday afternoon.

Most of the gunmen were killed in the raid. Many appeared to have been shot in the head as they lay incapacitated by the gas.


FROM OCT. 23, 2002: Chechen rebels hold Moscow audience hostage
Hundreds of people were watching a performance of a popular musical on Wednesday evening when about 50 Chechen rebels entered the theatre, taking everyone hostage and mining the building.

The rebels, including some women claiming to be the widows of Chechen fighters killed by Russian troops, threatened to kill all the hostages unless Russian pulled its army out of Chechnya.

As soldiers left the theatre after clearing it of mines, citizens began to bring flowers to the site, where the country's worst hostage crisis had played out.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on television Saturday night, asking forgiveness for not saving all the hostages.

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