Beslan school siege ‘could have been prevented by local police’

THE head of a Russian parliamentary commission investigating the Beslan school siege that left 331 dead last year said that local law enforcement officials could have prevented the terrorist attack if they had not ignored instructions to strengthen school security.

Alexander Torshin said that Russia’s interior minister and his deputy sent telegrams less than two weeks before the raid, instructing regional police to beef up security.

“That could have prevented the terrorist attack,” Torshin said.