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Gas used to end hostage
crisis was Fentanyl

Vinay Shukla in Moscow

Faced with strong international and domestic pressure, Russia on Wednesday disclosed that its security forces used Fentanyl gas, a fast-acting opiate that has many medical applications, to end the hostage crisis in a theatre in Moscow resulting in the death of 119 captives held by Chechen rebels.

Russian Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko said the compound was an anaesthetic and could not cause death.

Shevchenko said the security forces had not used any chemical substances banned under international treaties.

Russian medical experts attribute the high death rate among the hostages to 57 hours of fatigue, stress and hunger.

The Russian health minister also denied media reports that medical service was not informed about the use of gas in advance.

"For the neutralisation of the gas over a 1000 antidotes were prepared and used," he said.

Russia had previously refused to specify the nature of the gas.

PTI

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