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During the course of the revolution, the Western press published estimates of the number of people killed by Securitate forces in an attempt to support Ceau?escu and quell the rebellion. The count increased rapidly until an estimated 64,000 fatalities were widely reported across front pages.^[37] The Hungarian military attaché expressed doubt regarding these figures, pointing out the unfeasible logistics of killing such a large number of people in such a short period of time. After Ceau?escu's death, hospitals across the country reported a death toll of fewer than 1,000, and probably much lower than that.