Without explanation, Russian authorities yesterday said 128 hostages died in the Oct. 26 raid on a Moscow theater — eight more than had previously been reported (see GSN, Nov. 4).

Russia said that 123 hostages had died from the fenatnyl gas used in the raid and officials increased the number of hostages that were shot by the Chechen extremists who held the theater, from two to five.  Officials did not explain when or how the hostages were shot.

The Internet news site Grani reported that 136 hostages had died, but speculated that officials were going to announce the deaths slowly to reduce the fallout from the raid (Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, Nov. 8).

Among the dead civilians were eight foreigners, from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Austria, the United States and the Netherlands, according to the Moscow city prosecutor.

Russian commandos who stormed the theater also killed 41 Chechens, 22 men and 19 women.  Authorities have said it was necessary to kill the extremists to prevent them from detonating more than 100 pounds of explosives that they had set up in the theater, which they captured Oct. 23.

Doctors continue to treat 67 hostages who are still hospitalized from the effects of the gas.  Of those, 26 have been discharged but returned for further care.

Nine Russian Federal Security Service commandos are also hospitalized, most likely from the effects of the gas, said Sergei Goncharov, former leader of the elite unit (Judith Ingram, Associated Press/Boston Globe, Nov. 8).

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