Hundreds gather to mark 5 years since Beslan massacre

HUNDREDS gathered yesterday to mark the fifth anniversary of the Beslan school hostage massacre as the painful memories of one of Russia’s worst tragedies begin to fade.

Left to themselves, survivors and relatives of the Beslan school tragedy grieved quietly in the small town in the country’s turbulent Caucasus region as parents in the rest of Russia sent off their children to school.

Five years on, a host of questions about the siege and the subsequent rescue operation remain unanswered, yet President Dmitry Medvedev made no mention of Beslan as he welcomed the start of a new academic year.