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CNN Live Today
Investigators Search Site of German Plane Collision
Aired July 02, 2002 - 10:15 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: I want to take you back to Ueberlingen, Germany, and that is the site where the -- the crash site of those two planes that ran into each other midair.
And lets bring our Alessio Vinci.
I think we have fixed the audio problems. We couldnt hear all the things you were reporting to us before, Alessio, so why dont we start over from the beginning?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, well start from the top, Daryn, a massive operation here ongoing with more than 800 police and search officials. Imagine this: 57 different sites in an area as wide as 20 square miles. Theyre using helicopters. We even heard Air Force jets flying overhead, trying to do a map of the area there just to find out how wide those debris falling from 30,000 feet high in the sky after the collision falling down on this small village in southern Germany.
Miraculously, no dead, no casualties here on the ground among the population; however, all 71 people, the two -- pilot and copilot -- on board of the DHL Boeing 757 dead, as well as the 69 passengers, crew members, and mainly children in the Russian Tupolev.
Now, besides the recovery, theres also, of course, an investigation ongoing. We do understand from German officials that both German and Russian officials are involved in this investigation. And earlier today, the German transportation minister gave a press conference here along with other German officials, and he told reporters that he was very much involved in trying to give answers to those questions on why this crash happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURT BODEWIG, FEDERAL TRAFFIC MINISTER (through translator): Then, of course, all of the four -- both of the -- the voice recorder. All these will be examined. We hope we will be able to find out the exact sequence of events during this crash.
I would like to make it clear once again here that this is not speculation, but we are hoping to get recognizable facts from our examinations.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VINCI: So far, the investigators have found one flight recorders box of the Tupolev 154. They havent found the flight recorders of the Boeing 757. One thing investigators are ruling out, poor weather condition, as well as poor communications between the pilot and the ground station.
Back to you -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Alessio, weve been reporting that on board the Russian jet, there were a number of children. Why so many kids on board that plane?
VINCI: This was a charter plane. It took off from Moscow, did a stopover in Munich and was on its way to its final destination in Barcelona, Spain, where those kids were supposed to have a vacation. This was a charter plane, again, and we do understand that most of those children were members of even some high-ranking officials in the city of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Back to you.
KAGAN: Very, very sad, reporting to us from Germany. Alessio Vinci thank you so much.
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