Ceremonies held to mark the opening of new Beslan schools

OFFICIALS held ceremonies to mark the opening of two new schools in the southern Russian town of Beslan yesterday to replace School No 1, devastated by last year’s horrific hostage seizure in which 331 adults and children died.

Russian television broadcasted footage showing rooms with new computers and furniture and teenagers some of whom were hostages in last year's raid wandering through the halls looking at maps and pictures.

State-run television said modern security technology had been installed in the schools, but gave no further details.

Principal Lyudmila Dzusova said the schools will open for classes on September 5 four days after the official nationwide beginning of classes.

"Every day we meet children who studied at School No 1, who come here. There is an inner fear but after walking around the school, we organise tours for the children and parents and teachers, they end up pretty relieved," Ms Dzusova said on TV.

A banner on one of the schools' glass-and-concrete facade read "Thank You Moscow, Thank You United Russia" a reference to the Kremlin-affiliated political party that dominates Russia's parliament.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov attended the ceremonies.

Ismel Shaov, a spokesman for the regional interior ministry, said all schools in the province of North Ossetia, where Beslan is located, are now equipped with alarm systems and will be staffed with security officers.

The two schools replace the School No 1, which was seized by armed militants on September 1 last year with more than 1,100 hostages inside. The three-day raid ended in the deaths of 331 captives, most of them children.

Officials said they opted for two separate schools so that schoolchildren would not have to cross the railway tracks that cut through the town.

School No 1 is a burned-out shell littered with rubbish, graffiti, shell holes and broken windows.

Mr Shaov also said investigators were still searching for the thieves who ransacked one of the schools last week.

The leader of a Beslan citizens' group said the building was being constructed under tight control and that it was possible to access the building only during construction hours after having passed a security check.