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CNN Live At Daybreak
Deadly Day in Liberia
Aired July 22, 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: A deadly day in Liberia as fighting spills over into the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia. Citizens have begun stacking dead bodies in front of the embassy while calls for U.S. intervention continue.
For more on the developing situation, we go live now to CNN's Jeff Koinange -- Jeff, where exactly are you in Monrovia?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we are still deep inside the U.S. Embassy compound and it's a rainy Tuesday morning, but that did not stop the shells from falling again this morning. In the last half hour, we've heard at least half a dozen shells. So that is still continuing. We can also hear some .50 caliber rounds being fired. We know that's from the government. They are definitely responding to the rebels on this fourth day.
But, Carol, the government is also saying that the death toll could be in the upwards of 600 in the last 24 hours alone, although aid agencies say that could be much lower. But they have no way of verifying because they have not been able to go into the streets to see the extent of the damage.
The local hospital, the JFK Hospital, is reporting that over 150 injured were being treated as of late last night. Doctors were working literally round the clock to save lives. We can also tell you that Liberians are still getting up and leaving. You can just imagine what it's like, now the rain is coming down and you can imagine tens of thousands of people picking up their few belongings and heading away from the fighting. It is such a deplorable situation. The city is almost paralyzed -- no running water, hardly any food and medicines are running low -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, we're seeing some very disturbing pictures from you this morning.
I know that the U.S. government is sending in reinforcements to help protect the embassy there. Have they arrived?
KOINANGE: Have not arrived yet, Carol, and we don't have any information on when they're going to arrive. We do know that 21 did arrive yesterday. There should be about 20 more at some point. But no confirmation yet on when that's going to happen. In the meantime, it looks like the fighting is still going on. Once in a while a stray bullet makes its way over the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy compound, so all is not safe right now and the battle is far from over -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, you stay safe. Jeff Koinange reporting live from Monrovia, Liberia 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 July 22, 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: A deadly day in Liberia as fighting spills over into the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia. Citizens have begun stacking dead bodies in front of the embassy while calls for U.S. intervention continue.
For more on the developing situation, we go live now to CNN's Jeff Koinange -- Jeff, where exactly are you in Monrovia?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we are still deep inside the U.S. Embassy compound and it's a rainy Tuesday morning, but that did not stop the shells from falling again this morning. In the last half hour, we've heard at least half a dozen shells. So that is still continuing. We can also hear some .50 caliber rounds being fired. We know that's from the government. They are definitely responding to the rebels on this fourth day.
But, Carol, the government is also saying that the death toll could be in the upwards of 600 in the last 24 hours alone, although aid agencies say that could be much lower. But they have no way of verifying because they have not been able to go into the streets to see the extent of the damage.
The local hospital, the JFK Hospital, is reporting that over 150 injured were being treated as of late last night. Doctors were working literally round the clock to save lives. We can also tell you that Liberians are still getting up and leaving. You can just imagine what it's like, now the rain is coming down and you can imagine tens of thousands of people picking up their few belongings and heading away from the fighting. It is such a deplorable situation. The city is almost paralyzed -- no running water, hardly any food and medicines are running low -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes, we're seeing some very disturbing pictures from you this morning.
I know that the U.S. government is sending in reinforcements to help protect the embassy there. Have they arrived?
KOINANGE: Have not arrived yet, Carol, and we don't have any information on when they're going to arrive. We do know that 21 did arrive yesterday. There should be about 20 more at some point. But no confirmation yet on when that's going to happen. In the meantime, it looks like the fighting is still going on. Once in a while a stray bullet makes its way over the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy compound, so all is not safe right now and the battle is far from over -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, you stay safe. Jeff Koinange reporting live from Monrovia, Liberia 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
