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CNN Live Today

America Under Attack: New York Devastation has Deceiving Look to it

Aired September 13, 2001 - 14:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Martin Savidge has been covering for us today the rescue of firefighters down on the scene.

Marty, do you have new developments on that, or is it something else?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, Aaron, we can report to you the situation regarding this building. We cannot verify what Adam has said, he's obviously quite accurate. What we can tell you, though, is that the activity out here on the West Side Highway, which is one of the main thoroughfares through the emergency equipment, has been brought to standstill here. So it appears that something is going on.

There are also have been some talk earlier in the day coming from the site that there were at least two building that were considered so unstable that the thought, at least, was being given to the prospect of possibly purposefully bringing them down, either by triggering some explosives or other means, because, just as you point out, the threat of that hanging over the heads of rescuers is a problem, a serious problem, and they need to resolve it one way or another.

Now, last night, there were engineers that were literally going through many of the building surrounding the area where the twin towers did stand there for the World Trade Center trying to verify what was the structural integrity. The Liberty One Plaza building was one building that got the OK. They said it is all right. It suffered a lot of damage, but it is not in danger of falling down.

Other buildings, though, that they said could be potentially threatened were building number five out of the World Trade Center complex, and also the Millennium Hotel.

So there has been this concern, it's been an ongoing concern. We already had a number of collapses yesterday. And there has even been talk that despite the fact that a building may be on the outside could look rather fit that it could actually be very much unsound, especially if the lower floors has been damaged to a severe degree, or any of the major support structures.

Then on the other hand, there are buildings that look extremely damaged, like the Verizon building, that has a huge hole in the front of it, and, yet, they are deemed to be structurally sound. So appearances are not all what they seem to be when you look out at the devastation here -- Aaron.

BROWN: Marty, stay where you are, you seem to have a terrific vantage point of what's going on. So just stay with me.

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