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CNN Live Today
Death Toll May Top 10,000 in French Heat Wave
Aired August 21, 2003 - 13:27 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: It is a staggering number. The death toll in the French heat wave could exceed some 10,000 by some accounts.
CNN's Chris burns checks in now from Paris this hour, where French political leaders are starting to feel some significant heat -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, definitely, Leon. In fact, if you look at the front page of Har Sair, (ph) one of the newspapers this morning, that really tells the story. It says, "A humanitarian catastrophe. And take a look at those coffins. The coffins are piling up. They continue to pile up.
And just yesterday, the government said that about 5,000 people probably died. Now, they're saying as many as 10,000. That's after the undertakers of the country have said that they believe it could be between 10,000 and 13,000.
This is a kind of third-world death toll in a first-world country, and that's what President Jacques Chirac faced when he had his first cabinet meeting today, trying to account for that meeting with his cabinet, telling them that they have to get to the bottom of this.
And he made a very rare statement to the public after the cabinet meeting, saying that there should be solidarity and action right now, and reflection to decide what to do. He is going to propose some new action as far as emergency medical help, but that reform is going to come not before October. So, the controversy continues.
A poll is out today showing that the heat wave has angered much of the public, saying that about half the public believes that Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin did not rise to the challenge, failed to really address the situation.
There is also talk from undertakers as well. And we talked to one undertaker, who made a comparison of what this tragedy is in his eyes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN NEVEU, GENERAL FUNERAL SERVICES: It looks like, you know, a disaster, like a crash, an airplane crash that's multiplied by, I would say, 10 or 15. And you have to deal with a large number of cases in a very short period of time, and that's a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Meanwhile, the same man told me that the undertakers are working overtime, the crematoriums are working overtime, trying to dispose of the bodies. There are refrigerated tents across the country. There is a refrigerated warehouse, a food warehouse just outside of town here, holding some 150 bodies. They expect to be caught up by next week.
But definitely these macabre scenes are making a very big imprint on the French public here -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, that's absolutely amazing. It's the kind of thing that would be almost impossible for people here on this side of the pond to even imagine. Thanks, Chris. Chris Burns reporting live for us from Paris.
BURNS: Thank you.
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 August 21, 2003 - 13:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is a staggering number. The death toll in the French heat wave could exceed some 10,000 by some accounts.
CNN's Chris burns checks in now from Paris this hour, where French political leaders are starting to feel some significant heat -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, definitely, Leon. In fact, if you look at the front page of Har Sair, (ph) one of the newspapers this morning, that really tells the story. It says, "A humanitarian catastrophe. And take a look at those coffins. The coffins are piling up. They continue to pile up.
And just yesterday, the government said that about 5,000 people probably died. Now, they're saying as many as 10,000. That's after the undertakers of the country have said that they believe it could be between 10,000 and 13,000.
This is a kind of third-world death toll in a first-world country, and that's what President Jacques Chirac faced when he had his first cabinet meeting today, trying to account for that meeting with his cabinet, telling them that they have to get to the bottom of this.
And he made a very rare statement to the public after the cabinet meeting, saying that there should be solidarity and action right now, and reflection to decide what to do. He is going to propose some new action as far as emergency medical help, but that reform is going to come not before October. So, the controversy continues.
A poll is out today showing that the heat wave has angered much of the public, saying that about half the public believes that Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin did not rise to the challenge, failed to really address the situation.
There is also talk from undertakers as well. And we talked to one undertaker, who made a comparison of what this tragedy is in his eyes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN NEVEU, GENERAL FUNERAL SERVICES: It looks like, you know, a disaster, like a crash, an airplane crash that's multiplied by, I would say, 10 or 15. And you have to deal with a large number of cases in a very short period of time, and that's a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Meanwhile, the same man told me that the undertakers are working overtime, the crematoriums are working overtime, trying to dispose of the bodies. There are refrigerated tents across the country. There is a refrigerated warehouse, a food warehouse just outside of town here, holding some 150 bodies. They expect to be caught up by next week.
But definitely these macabre scenes are making a very big imprint on the French public here -- Leon.
HARRIS: Well, that's absolutely amazing. It's the kind of thing that would be almost impossible for people here on this side of the pond to even imagine. Thanks, Chris. Chris Burns reporting live for us from Paris.
BURNS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
