Moscow, Oct 28: Many hostages died of gas poisoning
after Russian special forces overpowered a Chechen group
holding them hostage because medics had not been given proper
equipment or instructions, one of the rescuers said today.
The rescue teams who followed the special forces into the
Moscow theatre where the hostages were held were not even
given the basic equipment which might have allowed them to
save more lives, a medical aide told the Nezavisimaya Gazeta
daily on condition of anonymity.
"We did not even have enough stretchers," the medic said.
"To save lives, we would have needed many qualified personnel
acting according to a specially pre-established plan."
Russia today held a day of national mourning to honour
the memory of the 117 hostages who died in the three-day
ordeal when Chechen rebels stormed into a Moscow theatre and
took more than 800 people hostage.
Of the 117 hostages who died, 115 succumbed to the
effects of a gas pumped into the theatre by special forces
ahead of their Saturday assault during which 50 Chechen
hostage-takers also died.
"If only we had known in advance. If at least we had been
told that we would have to evacuate large numbers of people
who were unconscious, that they would need respiratory and
cardiac assistance. Even mouth-to-mouth respiration could have
saved them," he said.
"Nobody (among the rescuers) could have imagined the
consequences of the gas" the special forces pumped into the
building to prepare their assault Saturday and which Russian
official admitted killed 115 hostages, he added.
Bureau Report
