Seventeen people have been officially declared dead, while at least 95 remain missing following a glacier avalanche in North Ossetia on 20 September, according to the head of the republic's government Mikhail Shatalov. An Interior Ministry official noted that it will be difficult to determine the exact number of victims since a large number of them are refugees from South Ossetia and other parts of Georgia who as a rule do not register their place of residence. In an interview with the agency, Shatalov ruled out the possibility that the avalanche had been triggered by terrorists. Among those missing are not only the well-known actor and director Sergei Bodrov, but also several members of the republican parliament, republican election commission, and North Ossetia State University. The republic has declared 26 September a day of mourning. (Interfax)