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CNN Live Today
Residents of Milan Say They Feel Less Secure
Aired April 19, 2002 - 13:22 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In Milan, Italy, it's still puzzling why did a plane crash into a skyscraper yesterday. The private plane slammed into Italy's tallest building, killing three people and injuring dozens of others. Italian authorities say there's no indication that this was an act of terrorism. For the latest, we go to Milan now and CNN's Chris Burns -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, yes. A lot of bewildered Milanese standing outside this building, looking at a sea of white documents that rained down on the area right in front of the building as well. We see plane wreckage over there and the flags flying half-staff. You look straight up at the top where the plane entered, it looks like the pilot may have taken perfect aim.
And this is what -- this is one very strong piece of evidence why authorities are looking at the possibility that it was a suicide, perhaps not September 11, they're ruling out terrorism, but they are saying it could have been the pilot who is an art dealer in deep debt that may have wanted to kill himself. They're looking at that very, very seriously.
What does this do to the sense of Milanese here? Well, with us is Stefano Brambilla, a long-time Milanese here. You lived all your life here. And arrived here moments after, very shortly after it happened.
STEFANO BRAMBILLA, STUDENT: Yeah.
BURNS: How did you feel? What were you first thoughts?
BRAMBILLA: Yeah, it was incredible. Everyone was scared. Everybody was shivering.
BURNS: Because they thought that it was a terrorist attack.
BRAMBILLA: Yeah, it felt like being on September 11 again, but not New York, but in our city, my city. This is a very special point, because it's a meeting point. Everybody knows this building. Everybody knows Pirelli, this is the tallest building, and everybody is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BURNS: And it's true that most of the people who were injured, the 36 people who were injured, most of them were passerby like you.
BRAMBILLA: Yeah. Yeah. I stopped many times under this building. And it's sort of unlucky moment.
BURNS: Whether or not it was a terror attack or a suicide, you still feel a sense of insecurity, don't you?
BRAMBILLA: Yeah, there's always sense of insecurity. But your news in America it's OK, it's so far America. But here in Milan, so -- and in Milan in a place where everybody came. Everybody comes every day. This is a train station just here. So it's very difficult to think...
BURNS: Does this change your...
BRAMBILLA: Yeah. Very difficult to think what to do, what not to do, but you can't do anything about that. You can always hope that this kind of thing never happens in your life.
BURNS: Stefano Brambilla, thank you very much. And Stefano is among others I spoke to today who say that they're relieved that it was not a terrorist attack, but at the same time they do feel a bit less secure, that it could happen just about anywhere. Anywhere where there's a symbolic skyscraper -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: A lot of relief in Milan and elsewhere, too. Thanks very much, Chris Burns from Milan.
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