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Breaking News

Five Dead in Terror Blast

Aired September 19, 2002 - 08:20   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: We continue to track this developing story out of the Middle East. And for more on that, here is Paula, watching the news from Tel Aviv -- Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.

It's actually Mike Hanna who is on the ground at the scene of that bombing now that is believed to have killed at least five people.

HEMMER: All right, we're having a little bit of an audio problem just to hear Mike Hanna on the scene there in Tel Aviv.

We'll bring you now Mike.

What are you seeing? What do you have for us?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, here now I can hear you. We've established communications, it seems.

Here in Tel Aviv the scene of this bomb blast, carnage returning to the streets of Israel's cities. Behind me you can see the bus on which the explosion happened. Now, when the bomber alighted onto the bus it was a little bit further up the road. The explosion occurred. Five people dead, according to police at this stage. Well over 60 people are injured.

After the explosion, the bus then moved down, rolled down to the road, coming to rest where it is now.

Well, for the very latest in terms of what is happening here, what are the details from the scene, I'm joined by Israeli Police Spokesman Gil Kleiman.

GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: Hello.

HANNA: Thank you for joining me, sir.

KLEIMAN: Thank you.

HANNA: What is the latest information that you have?

KLEIMAN: Well, like we said, a suicide bomber, we suspect, blew himself up almost immediately. It was a busy bus, lunch hour, traffic downtown Tel Aviv. The explosion occurred, we think, almost immediately. As a result of that, the bus continued traveling and was stopped at the side of the road. We've seen that before. This isn't our first incident in which that happened. We found the bomb was basically what we've seen many times before. This is our 60th suicide incident since January. A bomb together with shrapnel and fragments which were added to the bomb in order to increase the effect. And like I said, we have numerous, around over 40 people wounded. We had five dead innocent victims and, of course, the body of the suicide bomber on the scene.

This is our second suicide bombing in less than 24 hours and our fourth terrorist attack in which people have died in less than 24 hours.

HANNA: Now, first of all, with the wounded, we understand that a number of the wounded are in a very serious condition.

KLEIMAN: That situation changes. There's an immediate evacuation. Unfortunately, we're very experienced in that so the wounded get to the hospital very quickly. But then at the hospital, their situation changes and we've had the status changes from critical to -- and unfortunately there are times when critical goes and to death. So that changes. So that's being changed all the time and that's really what the ambulance corps' job is.

We have them in various hospitals in the area, each one according to its specialty, and that situation will change. Right now, though, like I said, we have five dead innocent victims. Unfortunately that might change. But right now it's stable.

HANNA: Gil Kleiman, Israeli police spokesman.

KLEIMAN: Thank you very much.

HANNA: Thank you very much for joining us.

So there we have the latest details. Five confirmed dead by the police. The other person dead, the suicide bomber responsible for this terror attack. Well over 60 people wounded, a number of them in a series condition -- back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, thanks.

Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, on the scene there. That bombing taking place about two and a half hours ago. We'll continue to track it.

The latest from Allenby Street in central Tel Aviv when we come back here. Back in a moment.

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







Aired September 19, 2002 - 08:20   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We continue to track this developing story out of the Middle East. And for more on that, here is Paula, watching the news from Tel Aviv -- Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.

It's actually Mike Hanna who is on the ground at the scene of that bombing now that is believed to have killed at least five people.

HEMMER: All right, we're having a little bit of an audio problem just to hear Mike Hanna on the scene there in Tel Aviv.

We'll bring you now Mike.

What are you seeing? What do you have for us?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, here now I can hear you. We've established communications, it seems.

Here in Tel Aviv the scene of this bomb blast, carnage returning to the streets of Israel's cities. Behind me you can see the bus on which the explosion happened. Now, when the bomber alighted onto the bus it was a little bit further up the road. The explosion occurred. Five people dead, according to police at this stage. Well over 60 people are injured.

After the explosion, the bus then moved down, rolled down to the road, coming to rest where it is now.

Well, for the very latest in terms of what is happening here, what are the details from the scene, I'm joined by Israeli Police Spokesman Gil Kleiman.

GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: Hello.

HANNA: Thank you for joining me, sir.

KLEIMAN: Thank you.

HANNA: What is the latest information that you have?

KLEIMAN: Well, like we said, a suicide bomber, we suspect, blew himself up almost immediately. It was a busy bus, lunch hour, traffic downtown Tel Aviv. The explosion occurred, we think, almost immediately. As a result of that, the bus continued traveling and was stopped at the side of the road. We've seen that before. This isn't our first incident in which that happened. We found the bomb was basically what we've seen many times before. This is our 60th suicide incident since January. A bomb together with shrapnel and fragments which were added to the bomb in order to increase the effect. And like I said, we have numerous, around over 40 people wounded. We had five dead innocent victims and, of course, the body of the suicide bomber on the scene.

This is our second suicide bombing in less than 24 hours and our fourth terrorist attack in which people have died in less than 24 hours.

HANNA: Now, first of all, with the wounded, we understand that a number of the wounded are in a very serious condition.

KLEIMAN: That situation changes. There's an immediate evacuation. Unfortunately, we're very experienced in that so the wounded get to the hospital very quickly. But then at the hospital, their situation changes and we've had the status changes from critical to -- and unfortunately there are times when critical goes and to death. So that changes. So that's being changed all the time and that's really what the ambulance corps' job is.

We have them in various hospitals in the area, each one according to its specialty, and that situation will change. Right now, though, like I said, we have five dead innocent victims. Unfortunately that might change. But right now it's stable.

HANNA: Gil Kleiman, Israeli police spokesman.

KLEIMAN: Thank you very much.

HANNA: Thank you very much for joining us.

So there we have the latest details. Five confirmed dead by the police. The other person dead, the suicide bomber responsible for this terror attack. Well over 60 people wounded, a number of them in a series condition -- back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, thanks.

Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, on the scene there. That bombing taking place about two and a half hours ago. We'll continue to track it.

The latest from Allenby Street in central Tel Aviv when we come back here. Back in a moment.

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