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CNN Live Today

Reactions After Finding 13 More Bodies at Ground Zero

Aired March 13, 2002 - 12:39   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, more than six months, in fact a day after the six month marker, 13 more bodies have been recovered from lower Manhattan. The remains include 2 civilians and 11 firefighters. At least two of those firefighters worked at a fire station that lost 17 members back on 9-11.

Jason Carroll is there now with reaction this afternoon.

Jason, good afternoon to you.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And a good afternoon to you, Bill.

I'm standing out here in front of the fire station. If you take a look behind me, you can see that there are a number of flowers and cards here, fresh flowers and some candles. This plaque is actually from Idaho -- from the people of Idaho. People have been bringing things like this by here for the past several months. And throughout the past several months, the firefighters here have been saying that they believe that many of the men who were lost during the World Trade Center disaster would probably be found somewhere beneath the south tower. The south tower is the first tower that collapsed during the World Trade Center disaster.

And yesterday, some of the crews that were down at ground zero finally had an opportunity to really get down there in what used to be the lobby area of the south tower, and that's where they found the remains of 11 firefighters and, as you said, 2 civilians. It's believed that at least two of the firefighters whose remains were recovered did in fact come from Ladder Company No. 4. The crews down at ground zero draped flags over the remains as they were brought out. They also lined up a ramp as the remains were brought up out of what is called the pit down there at ground zero. They saluted as well. That is done whenever a firefighter or the remains of a firefighter or a police officer are found down at ground zero.

Early this morning as some of the firefighters were coming out here on their way to work, I had an opportunity to talk to some of them. And I asked them if they would share of their thoughts with us about what was going on down at ground zero. And, Bill, they basically told me that right now it's just simply too painful. They want the remains to be recovered because that way it brings closure to the families, it brings closure to the -- to some of the people here at the firehouse, but it also makes them relive what happened back on September 11. So it's very difficult for them each -- as each day passes, they have to sort of wonder if more remains will be found and if they're going to have to relive what happened on September 11 all over again -- Bill.

HEMMER: One only wonders. It must be terribly difficult.

Jason, these bodies were located on a street that I believe ran right up to the south tower. Are the rescue workers there -- and now we look at a shot of ground zero from yesterday when a few of those bodies were located. Are they talking as to why they theorized that they thought they were getting closer to a location where bodies would have been located?

CARROLL: I think just based on some of the debris that they were bringing out. And as you know, that area was basically used -- that area that I'm talking about near the south tower was used as a staging area for many of the firefighters and the police officers that were down there. For several months now, the crews that are down at ground zero have really been wanting to get down there because they had a feeling that they would probably...

HEMMER: All right, clearly our apologies there, we lost Jason Carroll there from the firehouse there in Manhattan.

But again, 13 bodies located yesterday, 11 of which were firefighters. And that process does continue. This was around the base of the south tower where those bodies were located.

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