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American Morning
Many Australians Killed in Bali Blasts
Aired October 14, 2002 - 07:35 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 want to get back to Bali right now. Australia certainly very hard hit by the bombings in Bali. More than a dozen Australians killed. Aussies make up the majority of the injured and missing and right now the dead count is well over 180, and still we're being told that hundreds of others are still missing. Bali a popular tourist destination for many Australians. So, too, for many Westerners throughout the world.
At the time of the blast, an estimated 20,000 people were on this very small island just east of the main island of Java.
John Vause working that story in Sydney now with a look at how the country is reacting to the attack -- and, John, very strong words from the prime minister earlier today on Monday.
Hello to you.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Bill. Good evening from Sydney.
If Australians didn't understand what 9/11 was all about, they certainly have a better understanding after the last 48 hours. For that period of time, they've been watching images on their television screens of Australians returning injured with terrible burns, being flown home from Bali aboard C-130 Hercules planes. They've been taken to hospitals throughout this country. Some of the more seriously wounded have been brought in on private jets.
This has been a massive airlift operation involving at least five of the Royal Air Force Hercules planes. They've been landing in Dowan and in Perth. And, of course, this island resort is right on Australia's doorstep. As you mentioned, very, very popular with Australians. It is, in fact, the most popular overseas destination for all Australians.
So the prime minister, John Howard, confirming for us that there are still more than 200 Australians who are unaccounted for and it's feared that many of those will make up the majority of the death toll. And to put that into American terms, that's almost two and a half thousand Americans.
Now, the prime minister said earlier tonight that, in fact, it would be the Australian spirit which would help this nation heal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: The Australian people are very tough. They're very resilient. They will be angry. They will be determined. And they will want every effort taken by their government, in cooperation with the Indonesian government, to find the people who did this and bring them to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And, Bill, Sunday will, in fact, be a day of national mourning and by then we should have a better idea of just what that death toll is.
HEMMER: Tough, tough story for that country and many others.
Thank you, John.
John Vause reporting live in Sydney, Australia.
A very popular place, especially among the backpacking circuit. If you're Australian or a New Zealander or British or a Swede, or you're Dutch, American, Canadians, they all seem to pass through Kuta Beach at one time or another.
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 October 14, 2002 - 07:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back to Bali right now. Australia certainly very hard hit by the bombings in Bali. More than a dozen Australians killed. Aussies make up the majority of the injured and missing and right now the dead count is well over 180, and still we're being told that hundreds of others are still missing. Bali a popular tourist destination for many Australians. So, too, for many Westerners throughout the world.
At the time of the blast, an estimated 20,000 people were on this very small island just east of the main island of Java.
John Vause working that story in Sydney now with a look at how the country is reacting to the attack -- and, John, very strong words from the prime minister earlier today on Monday.
Hello to you.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Bill. Good evening from Sydney.
If Australians didn't understand what 9/11 was all about, they certainly have a better understanding after the last 48 hours. For that period of time, they've been watching images on their television screens of Australians returning injured with terrible burns, being flown home from Bali aboard C-130 Hercules planes. They've been taken to hospitals throughout this country. Some of the more seriously wounded have been brought in on private jets.
This has been a massive airlift operation involving at least five of the Royal Air Force Hercules planes. They've been landing in Dowan and in Perth. And, of course, this island resort is right on Australia's doorstep. As you mentioned, very, very popular with Australians. It is, in fact, the most popular overseas destination for all Australians.
So the prime minister, John Howard, confirming for us that there are still more than 200 Australians who are unaccounted for and it's feared that many of those will make up the majority of the death toll. And to put that into American terms, that's almost two and a half thousand Americans.
Now, the prime minister said earlier tonight that, in fact, it would be the Australian spirit which would help this nation heal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: The Australian people are very tough. They're very resilient. They will be angry. They will be determined. And they will want every effort taken by their government, in cooperation with the Indonesian government, to find the people who did this and bring them to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And, Bill, Sunday will, in fact, be a day of national mourning and by then we should have a better idea of just what that death toll is.
HEMMER: Tough, tough story for that country and many others.
Thank you, John.
John Vause reporting live in Sydney, Australia.
A very popular place, especially among the backpacking circuit. If you're Australian or a New Zealander or British or a Swede, or you're Dutch, American, Canadians, they all seem to pass through Kuta Beach at one time or another.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
