Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Explosion in Afghanistan Kills Four U.S. Servicemen

Aired April 15, 2002 - 10:22   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: We want to check in now in Afghanistan. That is where four American troops were killed earlier today. Let's pick up with CNN producer Ryan Chilcote. He is in Kandahar -- Ryan, hello.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. You know, events got off here at the Kandahar airfield to a very tragic -- this Monday and this week got off to a very tragic start today. We, just a short while after that explosion that killed those four U.S. servicemen, listened to a statement from the U.S. Army's chief spokesman, Major A.C. Roper. Here is what he had to say about that incident this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. A.C. ROPER, U.S. ARMY SPOKESMAN: Four U.S. Army soldiers were killed and one was injured by an explosion approximately two kilometers north of Kandahar city around 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time this morning. The injured soldier was Medivaced to the combat support and medical facility here at Kandahar airfield. He is now undergoing medical treatment.

And investigation team has been dispatched to the site to determine the cause. And U.S. coalition and afghan forces are secure in the area.

The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, and the incident is under investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any chance this was the result of hostile fire?

ROPER: The incident is under investigation. And so we are trying to determine exactly what caused this tragic explosion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHILCOTE: OK. Well, we now do have a much better idea of what took place there. We understand that those soldiers were just outside of the city of Kandahar, and that they were dealing with explosive ordnance at the time, when something obviously went very, very wrong, and at least part of those explosives detonated.

I actually was back at the Kandahar airfield and witnessed U.S. helicopters, that would be the Blackhawk helicopter, bring in the body bags of at least three of those servicemen. And I can tell you it was a very, very sad moment here at the base.

The one injured U.S. serviceman is being treated here at the base. He is said to be in stable condition, and all things considered, it's good he is alive -- back to you.

KAGAN: And I can only imagine that difficult situation there at Kandahar Airport. Ryan, if you could describe for us the kind of work that the servicemen are doing now. Obviously, this was a very dangerous mission that these particular men were on, on dealing with explosives, but typical of what the 7,000 servicemen that are there right now that they are still doing.

CHILCOTE: You know, these really are the unspoken heroes of this war effort. These men were primarily from E.O.D. That's a unit that explodes, locates, makes safe and detonates the tons and tons of munitions that are spread throughout Afghanistan after decades of war here. So they really are doing a good thing, not only for the U.S. Army that might, you know, that these weapons might be used against, but also for the people of Afghanistan.

And you know day in and day out, every single morning, these men go out and locate these explosives and detonate them, and it's very, very risky work. And unfortunately today, luck was not with them.

KAGAN: Ryan Chilcote in Kandahar -- thank you very much.

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