BESLAN, North Ossetia. Sept 3 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian physician who became famous for rescuing hostages during the 2002 Moscow theater siege has said that all the children who were taken hostage together with their relatives and teachers in a school in the North Ossetian town of Beslan are alive.
"Unfortunately, some of the adult hostages were killed. And talks are in progress with the terrorists at the moment to convince them to release the children and make it possible to remove the bodies of killed adults," Leonid Roshal told the families of the hostages on Friday.
"Our information suggests that there are 16 under-school age children among the hostages," he said.
"The situation is serious. This is our common tragedy. We are dealing with cruel people. I have been speaking to them (the terrorists - Interfax) on 10-15 occasions a day, but, so far, they have not allowed us to hand over food and water supplies and medicines to the school," Roshal said.
"During the talks, the terrorists have told me in a cynical manner that all the hostages have refused to receive food and medicines," he said.
Today "there is so far no threat to the lives of these children, who have been without water. But they will not be able to survive without water for a few more days," Roshal said.
Roshal said he does not know what demands the terrorists have put forward.
Calling on the hostages' relatives not to yield to despair, Roshal said that "we are strong when we behave in a calm and reasonable manner."
A representative of the operational headquarters for the hostage-release operation, who also attended the meeting with the hostages' families, said that talks with the terrorists will continue on Friday.