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American Morning
Latest on Tragic Toll in Terror Attacks in Istanbul
Aired November 20, 2003 - 08:02 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to Turkey right away again. The latest on that tragic toll in terror attacks in Istanbul. The latest numbers we have, according to CNN, we have confirmed 25 dead and injuring now almost 400. That number has risen again.
The blasts happened almost simultaneously. Witnesses describe at least two large explosions. It's possible there were more than two. CNN confirming that earlier today that targets seemed to have a British connection, as well. One site near the British consulate, the other a London-based bank.
Kaya Heyse is a correspondent for CNN Turk. That's out network operating in the Middle East.
She's on the telephone now with more.
What have you learned at this hour?
Good afternoon there.
KAYA HEYSE, CNN TURK CORRESPONDENT:
Good afternoon.
Now, we have confirmed 25 people dead and nearly 400 wounded, but the numbers are rising. I am now in front of the site where the first explosion happened. It's the HSBC headquarters in Istanbul and we have conflicting reports from inside the building. We don't know how many people are there, still trapped there. We know that there are at least 10 people dead in the building and ambulances are still coming to the site and taking out wounded and people under the wreckage and the debris.
So the site here is really, it's kind of horrific and the military just came. About 100 soldiers came and secured the site. Police is here. Fire workers are here and now the scene is completely sealed off.
The other explosion happened right next to the British consulate in Istanbul and there is, we don't know where the consul general is now, Robert Short. Nobody knows where he is. We have learned that the British ambassador to Turkey is coming to Istanbul.
And now we are trying to figure out how these attacks could have happened. There is speculation that, again, like the synagogue bombings on Saturday, it is a car bomb. There is a great big hole in front of the HSBC building which -- in the middle of the road -- which leads us to the conclusion that it was, again, a pickup truck used, like that one used in the first attack, in the synagogue attacks. But it's still hard to speculate on this issue.
Body parts are strewn like in a radius of 200, 300 meters all around this residential area where the HSBC headquarters is. It's one of the finest residential areas in Istanbul. The upper middle class is living here and people are in great shock and still can't believe what is going on.
HEMMER: Kaya Heyse, thanks, by telephone there in Istanbul as he was pointing out, the second terrorist attack in five days, going back to Saturday, when 25 were killed this past weekend. Reports about similarities between the two. This is a story we will not leave for long. At least 25 dead today again in Istanbul.
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 November 20, 2003 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to Turkey right away again. The latest on that tragic toll in terror attacks in Istanbul. The latest numbers we have, according to CNN, we have confirmed 25 dead and injuring now almost 400. That number has risen again.
The blasts happened almost simultaneously. Witnesses describe at least two large explosions. It's possible there were more than two. CNN confirming that earlier today that targets seemed to have a British connection, as well. One site near the British consulate, the other a London-based bank.
Kaya Heyse is a correspondent for CNN Turk. That's out network operating in the Middle East.
She's on the telephone now with more.
What have you learned at this hour?
Good afternoon there.
KAYA HEYSE, CNN TURK CORRESPONDENT:
Good afternoon.
Now, we have confirmed 25 people dead and nearly 400 wounded, but the numbers are rising. I am now in front of the site where the first explosion happened. It's the HSBC headquarters in Istanbul and we have conflicting reports from inside the building. We don't know how many people are there, still trapped there. We know that there are at least 10 people dead in the building and ambulances are still coming to the site and taking out wounded and people under the wreckage and the debris.
So the site here is really, it's kind of horrific and the military just came. About 100 soldiers came and secured the site. Police is here. Fire workers are here and now the scene is completely sealed off.
The other explosion happened right next to the British consulate in Istanbul and there is, we don't know where the consul general is now, Robert Short. Nobody knows where he is. We have learned that the British ambassador to Turkey is coming to Istanbul.
And now we are trying to figure out how these attacks could have happened. There is speculation that, again, like the synagogue bombings on Saturday, it is a car bomb. There is a great big hole in front of the HSBC building which -- in the middle of the road -- which leads us to the conclusion that it was, again, a pickup truck used, like that one used in the first attack, in the synagogue attacks. But it's still hard to speculate on this issue.
Body parts are strewn like in a radius of 200, 300 meters all around this residential area where the HSBC headquarters is. It's one of the finest residential areas in Istanbul. The upper middle class is living here and people are in great shock and still can't believe what is going on.
HEMMER: Kaya Heyse, thanks, by telephone there in Istanbul as he was pointing out, the second terrorist attack in five days, going back to Saturday, when 25 were killed this past weekend. Reports about similarities between the two. This is a story we will not leave for long. At least 25 dead today again in Istanbul.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
