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CNN Live Today

Rhode Island Fire Marshals Check All Nightclubs

Aired February 24, 2003 - 10:01   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Rhode Island today, some 200 deputy fire marshals are being dispatched across the state for emergency inspections. They're out checking night clubs that are similar to the club The Station which burned down last week with nearly dozens trapped inside.
CNN's Whitney Casey is checking in this morning. She follows this story for us from West Warwick, Rhode Island -- hello, Whitney.

WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. And the governor here has characterized this day as an emotional Odyssey for family members. And this is the first thing that they when they came here for the first time yesterday, an empty parking lot that used to be full with their loved ones' cars.

As you can see, family members continue to come to the scene, and some of the community members do, and they add mementos to this wall here, but behind the wall, the devastation.

And as of right now, this fire has claimed the lives of 97. One additional body was found on Saturday, and now they say 42 victims have been identified.

As the question of culpability continues to shift between the club owner and the band, the governor underscores that today, the top priority is to identify those 55 bodies that have yet to be identified, and he credits the identification process with those pathologists that have been working around the clock and that burgeoning database of dental records.

But again, right now, it's those 55 that have not been identified that is his main concern, but as you touched on, Leon, he has also sent out 200 fire marshals in the state so that this will never happen again. In addition, he has put a moratorium on pyrotechnics at clubs like this -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, Whitney, what are you hearing about the level of cooperation that authorities there are getting from both -- all the different parties that are involved in this story, and in the investigation as well?

CASEY: Well, the state attorney general, Patrick Lynch, said yesterday in a press conference that he was not happy with the -- what he was getting from the Derderians, the club owners here, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian. Jeffrey gave a press conference in which he said that he did not the club -- did not give Great White consent to use those pyrotechnics, but apparently, the state attorney say that he would like to ask Jeffrey more questions, but he has not made himself available. And Michael Derderian, the other club owner, has not been available for questioning, either.

But he has gotten a lot of consent from Great White, and he has answered a lot of questions. Apparently, they're being very forthcoming, the band is, that is -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Whitney. Appreciate that.

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 February 24, 2003 - 10:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In Rhode Island today, some 200 deputy fire marshals are being dispatched across the state for emergency inspections. They're out checking night clubs that are similar to the club The Station which burned down last week with nearly dozens trapped inside.
CNN's Whitney Casey is checking in this morning. She follows this story for us from West Warwick, Rhode Island -- hello, Whitney.

WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. And the governor here has characterized this day as an emotional Odyssey for family members. And this is the first thing that they when they came here for the first time yesterday, an empty parking lot that used to be full with their loved ones' cars.

As you can see, family members continue to come to the scene, and some of the community members do, and they add mementos to this wall here, but behind the wall, the devastation.

And as of right now, this fire has claimed the lives of 97. One additional body was found on Saturday, and now they say 42 victims have been identified.

As the question of culpability continues to shift between the club owner and the band, the governor underscores that today, the top priority is to identify those 55 bodies that have yet to be identified, and he credits the identification process with those pathologists that have been working around the clock and that burgeoning database of dental records.

But again, right now, it's those 55 that have not been identified that is his main concern, but as you touched on, Leon, he has also sent out 200 fire marshals in the state so that this will never happen again. In addition, he has put a moratorium on pyrotechnics at clubs like this -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, Whitney, what are you hearing about the level of cooperation that authorities there are getting from both -- all the different parties that are involved in this story, and in the investigation as well?

CASEY: Well, the state attorney general, Patrick Lynch, said yesterday in a press conference that he was not happy with the -- what he was getting from the Derderians, the club owners here, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian. Jeffrey gave a press conference in which he said that he did not the club -- did not give Great White consent to use those pyrotechnics, but apparently, the state attorney say that he would like to ask Jeffrey more questions, but he has not made himself available. And Michael Derderian, the other club owner, has not been available for questioning, either.

But he has gotten a lot of consent from Great White, and he has answered a lot of questions. Apparently, they're being very forthcoming, the band is, that is -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Whitney. Appreciate that.

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