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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadly Blast in Chechnya

Aired May 12, 2003 - 05:07   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And more now on that deadly blast in Chechnya. The bomb attack there reportedly happened just about three hours ago. Dozens of people are dead.
For the latest, let's go to CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva, who's live in Moscow -- good morning.

RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The latest that we know is from the chief of the Nadterechny District. That is where the blast occurred, in the biggest town in the north of Chechnya, Znamenskoye. Mr. Sultan Akhmetkhanov is telling us that a truck laden with explosives managed to crash through a barrier in the local administration office, damaging the local administration office, the security services building and also destroying eight homes in the vicinity.

From him we know that at least 30 people have been killed. Twice or three times that number have been injured, although we are receiving some reports from the Russian news agency Interfax that the death toll, according to them, has risen to 40 people, and is expected to rise.

The force of the blast created a crater that was two meters wide and 16 meters -- 16 meters wide and two meters deep, and an investigation, we hear now that President Vladimir Putin has reacted. He has ordered an investigation into this blast. At this point no claim of responsibility. President Putin saying that blasts like these and explosions, attacks like these are meant to destabilize the situation and destroy the political settlement that the Russian government is trying to achieve in the breakaway republic of Chechnya -- back to you, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Ralitsa Vassileva reporting live from Moscow this morning.

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 May 12, 2003 - 05:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And more now on that deadly blast in Chechnya. The bomb attack there reportedly happened just about three hours ago. Dozens of people are dead.
For the latest, let's go to CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva, who's live in Moscow -- good morning.

RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The latest that we know is from the chief of the Nadterechny District. That is where the blast occurred, in the biggest town in the north of Chechnya, Znamenskoye. Mr. Sultan Akhmetkhanov is telling us that a truck laden with explosives managed to crash through a barrier in the local administration office, damaging the local administration office, the security services building and also destroying eight homes in the vicinity.

From him we know that at least 30 people have been killed. Twice or three times that number have been injured, although we are receiving some reports from the Russian news agency Interfax that the death toll, according to them, has risen to 40 people, and is expected to rise.

The force of the blast created a crater that was two meters wide and 16 meters -- 16 meters wide and two meters deep, and an investigation, we hear now that President Vladimir Putin has reacted. He has ordered an investigation into this blast. At this point no claim of responsibility. President Putin saying that blasts like these and explosions, attacks like these are meant to destabilize the situation and destroy the political settlement that the Russian government is trying to achieve in the breakaway republic of Chechnya -- back to you, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Ralitsa Vassileva reporting live from Moscow this morning.

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