Russian hostage crisis death toll rises to 338

The death toll from the terrorist attack in the North Ossetian town of Beslan has risen to 338, Interfax news agency said on Sunday.

"Another five victims died in North Ossetian hospitals in the morning," spokesman for the crisis headquarters Lev Dzugayev told the press.

He said "the bodies of 156 people killed in the terrorist attack have been identified."

According to Interfax, a plane carrying 17 injured people, among them 11 children, from the terrorist attack in Beslan, the North Ossetian town, have flown to Moscow from Vladikavkaz on Sunday.

The plane is expected to arrive at Domodedovo in two and a half hours, the report said.

Some 30 heavily armed terrorists seized a school in Beslan in Russia's southern republic of North Ossetia on Wednesday, holding some 1,000 children and adults hostage for over 51 hours.

On Friday afternoon, children began to flee the school after two explosions. Then a gunbattle between security forces and captors erupted as the gunmen opened fire on escaping children. Reports said more than 700 people were wounded during the rescue operation.

Source: Xinhua