Chechen refugees left stranded as Russia seals road

CHECHEN-INGUSH BORDER, OCT 24: Russian troops blocked the road out of Chechnya for the second day on Sunday, leaving no escape from fighting in the breakaway region.

With western concern mounting over heavy civilian casualties, the closure of the last highway to the neighbouring Ingushetia region worsened the plight of refugees. Over 1,60,000 people have fled Chechnya, most of them along the highway leading to Ingushetia, which is struggling to cope with the flow and is receiving international assistance.

Ingush President Ruslan Aushev told Interfax news agency he planned to appeal to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for the refugee corridor to be reopened. 8220;These people now have no way of getting out of Chechnya. They are mostly women, children and old people,8221; Aushev said.