Moscow: Russia's three-day hostage drama in a school came to a bloody end today (Sep 3, 2004) with more than 100 captives killed and nearly 350 injured, mostly children, after commandos stormed the building gunning down over 10 suspected Chechen terrorists.

Itar-Tass news agency said its correspondent from the scene has reported seeing over 100 bodies of the hostages in the school seized by the heavily-armed militants on Wednesday (Sep 1, 2004) in the city of Beslan in the Southern republic of North Ossetia.

The Crisis Centre said that 344 wounded, most of them children, have been taken to hospital, the agency reported.

A British ITV News reporter also said he saw over 100 bodies lying on the smouldering floor of the school gymnasium where hostages were held. However, there was no official word on casualties so far.

Screaming children, some of them covered in blood, ran out of the building amidst gunfire and explosions as commandos launched the onslaught.

Interfax news agency citing its correspondent on the scene reported that over 10 militants were killed in exchange of fire with security forces.

The roof of the building also collapsed, possibly because of the explosives strapped to the bodies of some militants, killing dozens of people, mostly children.