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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iran Earthquake

Aired December 26, 2003 - 05:29   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to one of our top stories. In southeastern Iran, reports of casualties and damage are sketchy following a strong earthquake. A magnitude of 6.7 rocked an area about 600 miles southeast of Tehran, centered near the city of Bam (ph).
On the phone from Iran is journalist Shirzad Borgazam.

He's live in Tehran.

SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, JOURNALIST: Bozorgmehr.

WHITFIELD: Oh, thanks very much. I'm sorry about that.

All right, what's the latest?

Now, we're hearing numbers of up to 10,000 people killed. Why is the number so high?

BOZORGMEHR: Well, actually, up to 20,000 now they're saying. But that's an estimation. The actual figure that has been confirmed so far is 2,000. And the magnitude of the quake was not 6.7, actually, it was 6.3. And that is according to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University that is measuring it by body weight magnitude, which is the customary way of reporting it. It's 6.3, not 6.7.

WHITFIELD: OK.

BOZORGMEHR: The Iranian officials in the provincial capital of Kerman have said that so far 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in the earthquake that hit the southern desert city of Bam (ph) early Friday. The quake measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale and was followed by two strong aftershocks measuring 5.3 and 4.3.

Some officials on the scene are estimating that the death toll could reach 20,000 when rescue operations are completed and everyone is accounted for. A report just in quotes a doctor on the scene of the quake as saying that almost 90 percent of the injured are in very serious condition.

This is a major disaster, by any standard. Red Crescent officials are saying hospitals need all types of blood for the victims and are urging the people to donate blood.

The two major hospitals in the city of Bam, as you said, where the epicenter of the quake was located, are totally destroyed and many of the hospital staff are dead or injured. This is why the victims are being transported to Kerman, the provincial capital, where six hospitals have mobilized to provide medical treatment to the injured.

Transporting the victims, however, from the city of Bam to Kerman has caused heavy traffic on the major highway linking the two cities and the police have banned civilian traffic on these highways.

WHITFIELD: Now, Shirzad, you said this is a desert city, Bam is.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the makeup of this city?

BOZORGMEHR: Yes, it's one of the most ancient cities in the world, actually. The Bam Citadel, which is located very close to the city of Bam and has been partially damaged and destroyed, dates back many, many centuries. The structure of the city is ancient. It is not at earthquake prone, even though it is located, the city is located in a very earthquake prone area. So because of it, the quake hit so early in the morning, many people were at home, and because of the heavy structural damage, this is why we expect a lot of fatalities, maybe even up to 20,000, according to some officials in Iran.

But the figures have not been confirmed, neither by the interior ministry nor by the Red Crescent. The only confirmed figure of fatalities is so far 2,000. The 20,000 is an estimation.

WHITFIELD: Now, from where and what organizations, international organizations might be able to come to the aid of people there, the city of Bam, given that it sounds like it will be very difficult in which to get to?

BOZORGMEHR: It is difficult because it's on the edge of the desert and it's practically, you know, it's inland. So the immediate rescue workers that could come from abroad could come from regional countries such as Turkey, which has a lot of experience in this, and maybe some other -- some Arab countries. But so far, as far as we know, Iran has made no international appeal for help and we don't know of any international organizations that are participating in it so far.

All we know is that the Iranian military and the Bassij militia and the local people and local tribes are participating in the search and rescue missions and several teams have been dispatched from the capital, Tehran, to the city of Bam. We don't know if they have arrived yet or not, but the head of the natural disaster operations in Iran himself is over there. The governor of Kerman is there and several deputy governors are on the scene directing the rescue operations.

But as far as foreign help, we haven't heard anything yet.

WHITFIELD: All right, Shirzad Bozorgmehr, thank you very much for joining us on the telephone for that update.

A colossal earthquake, measuring 6.3, according to Shirzad's sources, with two strong aftershocks. So far, by his numbers, a confirmation of 2,000 people killed, but there are some who believe that the numbers may be up to 20,000 killed in the city of Bam, which is about 600 miles southeast of the capital city of Tehran, Iran.

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 December 26, 2003 - 05:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to one of our top stories. In southeastern Iran, reports of casualties and damage are sketchy following a strong earthquake. A magnitude of 6.7 rocked an area about 600 miles southeast of Tehran, centered near the city of Bam (ph).
On the phone from Iran is journalist Shirzad Borgazam.

He's live in Tehran.

SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, JOURNALIST: Bozorgmehr.

WHITFIELD: Oh, thanks very much. I'm sorry about that.

All right, what's the latest?

Now, we're hearing numbers of up to 10,000 people killed. Why is the number so high?

BOZORGMEHR: Well, actually, up to 20,000 now they're saying. But that's an estimation. The actual figure that has been confirmed so far is 2,000. And the magnitude of the quake was not 6.7, actually, it was 6.3. And that is according to the Geophysics Institute of Tehran University that is measuring it by body weight magnitude, which is the customary way of reporting it. It's 6.3, not 6.7.

WHITFIELD: OK.

BOZORGMEHR: The Iranian officials in the provincial capital of Kerman have said that so far 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in the earthquake that hit the southern desert city of Bam (ph) early Friday. The quake measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale and was followed by two strong aftershocks measuring 5.3 and 4.3.

Some officials on the scene are estimating that the death toll could reach 20,000 when rescue operations are completed and everyone is accounted for. A report just in quotes a doctor on the scene of the quake as saying that almost 90 percent of the injured are in very serious condition.

This is a major disaster, by any standard. Red Crescent officials are saying hospitals need all types of blood for the victims and are urging the people to donate blood.

The two major hospitals in the city of Bam, as you said, where the epicenter of the quake was located, are totally destroyed and many of the hospital staff are dead or injured. This is why the victims are being transported to Kerman, the provincial capital, where six hospitals have mobilized to provide medical treatment to the injured.

Transporting the victims, however, from the city of Bam to Kerman has caused heavy traffic on the major highway linking the two cities and the police have banned civilian traffic on these highways.

WHITFIELD: Now, Shirzad, you said this is a desert city, Bam is.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the makeup of this city?

BOZORGMEHR: Yes, it's one of the most ancient cities in the world, actually. The Bam Citadel, which is located very close to the city of Bam and has been partially damaged and destroyed, dates back many, many centuries. The structure of the city is ancient. It is not at earthquake prone, even though it is located, the city is located in a very earthquake prone area. So because of it, the quake hit so early in the morning, many people were at home, and because of the heavy structural damage, this is why we expect a lot of fatalities, maybe even up to 20,000, according to some officials in Iran.

But the figures have not been confirmed, neither by the interior ministry nor by the Red Crescent. The only confirmed figure of fatalities is so far 2,000. The 20,000 is an estimation.

WHITFIELD: Now, from where and what organizations, international organizations might be able to come to the aid of people there, the city of Bam, given that it sounds like it will be very difficult in which to get to?

BOZORGMEHR: It is difficult because it's on the edge of the desert and it's practically, you know, it's inland. So the immediate rescue workers that could come from abroad could come from regional countries such as Turkey, which has a lot of experience in this, and maybe some other -- some Arab countries. But so far, as far as we know, Iran has made no international appeal for help and we don't know of any international organizations that are participating in it so far.

All we know is that the Iranian military and the Bassij militia and the local people and local tribes are participating in the search and rescue missions and several teams have been dispatched from the capital, Tehran, to the city of Bam. We don't know if they have arrived yet or not, but the head of the natural disaster operations in Iran himself is over there. The governor of Kerman is there and several deputy governors are on the scene directing the rescue operations.

But as far as foreign help, we haven't heard anything yet.

WHITFIELD: All right, Shirzad Bozorgmehr, thank you very much for joining us on the telephone for that update.

A colossal earthquake, measuring 6.3, according to Shirzad's sources, with two strong aftershocks. So far, by his numbers, a confirmation of 2,000 people killed, but there are some who believe that the numbers may be up to 20,000 killed in the city of Bam, which is about 600 miles southeast of the capital city of Tehran, Iran.

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