Exact number of South Ossetia's victims will be known in a few months
The final figure of victims of the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia will be known not earlier than in several months, said Minister of Healthcare of South Ossetia Nugzar Gabarayev at a press conference held at the “Tskhinval-2008” the press center in Tskhinval. REGNUM correspondent quotes the Minister to say that the estimated death toll is about two thousand people.
However, “the figure is amplified all the time. According to different agencies, there are about two thousand victims. The final figure will be known no earlier than in a few months,” the minister said.
According to his report, the Ministry of Health of South Ossetia has accurate data regarding only those victims who were documented. “Talking about deaths and injuries registered in the republican hospital, I can state that 223 persons received surgery in the hospital basement. The figure is exact since those patients had been documented. Also, 45 dead and wounded people were brought in hospitals with fatal injuries.''
There is yet another obstacle on the way of those counting the victims. ''The fact is that many relatives of the people who died are outside the republic and have not informed the authorities of their missing relatives.''
''Besides, dead bodies are still being removed from under the ruins.''
''To put it short, the number of victims of the Georgian aggression is still to be verified,” Gabarayev said.
20:43 08/26/2008
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