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CNN Live At Daybreak
Relatives of 97 Who Died in Rhode Island Deal with Grief, Anger
Aired February 24, 2003 - 05:02 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: More now on our top story. Tears and anger, that's how many relatives of the 97 people who died in the Rhode Island nightclub fire are feeling as they deal with grief.
Our Bob Franken shows us how many of them said good-bye to their loved ones yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The families and close friends headed to the site, ready to confront firsthand the depths of their grief, with their first close up look at the charred remains of the club where they lost their loved ones. Many went by bus. Others walked. All trying to confront the horrible reality.
For a few, it was too much. They were placed in the ambulances that officials had provided, knowing full well that some would be overwhelmed. For all, it was intensely emotional.
GOV. DON CARCIERI, RHODE ISLAND: There were a number of firefighters, policemen, others there. There was, as you would expect, a lot of hugging, a lot of crying.
FRANKEN (on camera): For now, the site of those charred remains become a shrine to misery as family and loved ones try to comprehend the tragedy that may defy understanding.
(voice-over): Memorial events will extend to the first part of the week. The tragedy was a universal theme at Sunday's services.
REV. MARY ROBINSON, EMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH: When things go wrong, we often say it's someone's fault and we'd like to know who.
FRANKEN: That's what the authorities are trying to determine, looking for legal blame, looking at possible criminal charges. Key is the dispute over whether the club owners knew the band Great White would use the pyrotechnics which turned the concert into an inferno. The owners say they were caught by surprise. The band's lawyer says the owners knew full well.
ED MCPHERSON, BAND'S ATTORNEY: There were very specific conversations between the tour manager and the club owner, one of the club owners about these special effects being used. The club owner gave them permission to use it. FRANKEN: He was responding to Saturday night's denial by club owner Jeff Derderian, an emotional moment that nonetheless brought a tart response from the state's attorney general.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would hope that Mr. Derderian is as cooperative with the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation as he has been with the press.
FRANKEN: Officials briefly opened the area adjacent to the site for the general public to share in the grief, before closing it again so investigators could sift through more debris and sift through the facts and contradictions and try to figure out how to avoid such a massive tragedy from happening again.
Bob Franken, CNN, West Warwick, Rhode Island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And stay with us. CNN's Whitney Casey will have the latest on the investigation in her live report from the site of the fire. And that's around 6:00 Eastern time.
And for more on the fire, go to cnn.com. You'll find an interactive gallery with information on the victims, survivor stories and much more. Again, that's cnn.com. AOL keyword is CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Anger>
Aired February 24, 2003 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: More now on our top story. Tears and anger, that's how many relatives of the 97 people who died in the Rhode Island nightclub fire are feeling as they deal with grief.
Our Bob Franken shows us how many of them said good-bye to their loved ones yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The families and close friends headed to the site, ready to confront firsthand the depths of their grief, with their first close up look at the charred remains of the club where they lost their loved ones. Many went by bus. Others walked. All trying to confront the horrible reality.
For a few, it was too much. They were placed in the ambulances that officials had provided, knowing full well that some would be overwhelmed. For all, it was intensely emotional.
GOV. DON CARCIERI, RHODE ISLAND: There were a number of firefighters, policemen, others there. There was, as you would expect, a lot of hugging, a lot of crying.
FRANKEN (on camera): For now, the site of those charred remains become a shrine to misery as family and loved ones try to comprehend the tragedy that may defy understanding.
(voice-over): Memorial events will extend to the first part of the week. The tragedy was a universal theme at Sunday's services.
REV. MARY ROBINSON, EMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH: When things go wrong, we often say it's someone's fault and we'd like to know who.
FRANKEN: That's what the authorities are trying to determine, looking for legal blame, looking at possible criminal charges. Key is the dispute over whether the club owners knew the band Great White would use the pyrotechnics which turned the concert into an inferno. The owners say they were caught by surprise. The band's lawyer says the owners knew full well.
ED MCPHERSON, BAND'S ATTORNEY: There were very specific conversations between the tour manager and the club owner, one of the club owners about these special effects being used. The club owner gave them permission to use it. FRANKEN: He was responding to Saturday night's denial by club owner Jeff Derderian, an emotional moment that nonetheless brought a tart response from the state's attorney general.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would hope that Mr. Derderian is as cooperative with the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation as he has been with the press.
FRANKEN: Officials briefly opened the area adjacent to the site for the general public to share in the grief, before closing it again so investigators could sift through more debris and sift through the facts and contradictions and try to figure out how to avoid such a massive tragedy from happening again.
Bob Franken, CNN, West Warwick, Rhode Island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And stay with us. CNN's Whitney Casey will have the latest on the investigation in her live report from the site of the fire. And that's around 6:00 Eastern time.
And for more on the fire, go to cnn.com. You'll find an interactive gallery with information on the victims, survivor stories and much more. Again, that's cnn.com. AOL keyword is CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Anger>
