Chechen Emergency Ministry's information on casualties of terrorist act in Belorechye

According to the Emergencies Ministry of Chechnya, the terrorist act near the Belorechye village in the Gudermes district killed 16 and wounded 145 people.

"7 people died on the scene of the explosion and 9 died later in hospitals of Gudermes, Grozny and Khasavyurt," the ministry's spokesman pointed out.

"At present 53 people are being treated in hospitals, 43 out of them are in a very grave condition," he reported. "The number of victims may increase," he said.

Yesterday's powerful explosion occurred at 14.45 /Moscow time/ near the villages of Belorechye and Eleskhan-Yurt at a religious celebration attended by approximately 15,000 people.

Earlier an employee of the Chechen administration head's press service, Abdulla Dibirov, informed RIA Novosti that the terrorist act had killed 26 people, 12 of them died on the spot.