Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

13 More Bodies Recovered From Ground Zero

Aired March 13, 2002 - 10:06   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now another grim update on ground zero. More than six months after the collapse of the World Trade Center, 13 more bodies have been recovered from the dwindling pile of the wreckage. The remains include 11 firefighters, and at least two worked at ladder company four. That's a unit at the firehouse that lost 17 members.

Our Jason Carroll is at that firehouse with more.

Jason, hello.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Just a few moments ago, we watched as the people here from ladder company number four went out on a call. Life goes on for the men who are here, and -- but every time that the remains are recovered down at ground zero, it makes life a little more difficult for them, Daryn. The people here at ladder company number four have been saying all along they believe that many of the people who worked here, who died during the World Trade Center disaster, were buried somewhere beneath the south tower. That is the first tower that collapsed.

Yesterday, the crew down at ground zero had an opportunity to finally get down into that area near what used to be the lobby area of the south tower, and they were actually able to recover the remains of 11 firefighters and two civilians.

As you said, it is believed that at least two of the firefighters whose remains were recovered actually came from ladder company four. The crews who were down at ground zero as they brought out remains. They covered them with flags, and they also lined up as they brought the remains up out of what is called "the pit" down there. As they carried them out, they also saluted. That is a ceremony that takes place every time the remains of a firefighter or police officer is recovered down at ground zero.

Back here at ladder company number four, early this morning, as one of the men came out, I asked him, I said, would it be possible if could you talk to for a moment or two about what some of your thoughts are about everything happening at ground zero. He says you know what, right now it is just too soon for us to talk about what is going on. He says it is just too difficult. They are trying to move on with their lives. They definitely want the remains to be recovered, because in some ways, it brings closure to the families, it brings closure for ladder company four, but it also reopens the wound, if you will, of what happened on September 11th -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Understandable, Jason. It seems it would be easier to identify the firefighters. The two civilian bodies, however, how do they go about trying to ID those bodies?

CARROLL: That's a good question. What they're going to do, is they use DNA. They take all of the remains over to the medical examiner's office. It's a lengthy process, as you can probably imagine. It takes several weeks, but they use DNA testing to try to eventually identify the remains. It is much easier to identify, at least in some cases, in the early stages, those who are firefighters or police officers simply because of their uniforms.

KAGAN: Understandable.

Jason Carroll in New York, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com