Book excerpt: Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 85. Chapters: Disasters in the Soviet Union, Explosions in Russia, Famines in Russia, Fires in Russia, Mining disasters in Russia, Natural disasters in Russia, Tunguska event, Soyuz 1, Beslan school hostage crisis, Chernobyl disaster, Individual involvement in the Chernobyl disaster, 2009 Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro accident, Lame Horse fire, Chernobyl after the disaster, Winter storms of 2009-2010 in East Asia, Fire of Moscow, Mayak, Soyuz 11, 1988 Spitak earthquake, Russian famine of 1921, Nedelin catastrophe, Kyshtym disaster, Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Sverdlovsk anthrax leak, 1991 Racha earthquake, Droughts and famines in Russia and the Soviet Union, 2010 Stavropol bomb blast, 1917 Kazan Gunpowder Plant fire, Luzhniki Disaster, Russian famine of 1891-2, Kamchatka earthquakes, Soyuz T-10-1, 1949 Khait earthquake, Ufa train disaster, 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, Vitim event, Fire in the Winter Palace, 2008 Kazan gas explosion, Russian famine of 1601-1603, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky rail disaster, Soviet Famine of 1947, 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake, Kursha-2, Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide, 1961 Kurenivka mudslide in Kiev, R zeni Massacre, 1984 Yaroslavl tornado, 2003 Peoples' Friendship University of Russia fire, 1952 Severo-Kurilsk tsunami, Transvaal Park, Yubileynaya mine, Arkhangelsk explosion of 2004, 1927 Crimean earthquakes, Chechnya Spetsnaz base explosion, 2006 North Ossetia pipeline explosions, Khait landslide, Arzamas train disaster, Podsosenka train disaster, 1961 Elbarusovo school fire, 1984 Tbilisi gas explosion, Basmanny market roof collapse. Excerpt: The Beslan school hostage crisis (also referred to as the Beslan school siege or Beslan massacre) of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380. It began when a group of armed mostly Ingush and...