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CNN Live Today

Earthquake in Iran

Aired December 26, 2003 - 10:07   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look overseas now in Iran, where thousands of people died today in a major earthquake. U.S. quake experts are saying it measured 6.7, while Iranian officials are saying 6.3. It was powerful enough to flatten almost everything in its past. The epicenter of the devastation is in the ancient city of Bam (ph), in Southeastern Iran.
Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr is on the telephone with us from Tehran with an update.

What's the latest there?

SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, JOURNALIST: Fredricka, several countries, including Russia, Greece and France have expressed readiness to send men and equipment to Iran to help rescue the victims of the quake which has so far killed 4,000 people in the southern city of Bam in Kirman (ph) province. The quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale, as we said, hit the ancient desert city of Bam early Friday morning. Local officials say that so far, at least 4,000 people have been discovered that they are dead, but they also say that the figure, final figure, could reach somewhere around 20,000 or more; 30,000 people have been confirmed injured. All the injured are being transported to other cities and other provinces in the hospitals, because the local hospitals have been devastated, and there are no crew left to take care of the injured.

Iran is using seven helicopter and five C-130 transport planes to move these people to other cities and put them in hospitals for medical treatment. As I said, several other countries, including the United Nations have offered help. The United Nations has freed a $90,000 grant and has said that a team of experts will soon fly to Iran to assess the damage and ways of dealing with it.

WHITFIELD: And, Shirzad, why is it that the death toll is expected to rise as high as 20,000? What is it about the structures in this ancient city of Bam?

BOZORGMEHR: So far what we can see there are two main reasons. One, is the structure of the city. This is an ancient city. It goes back to over 2,000 years when it was founded. It's gone through many restorations, but it has never been -- the structures have never been made to adjust to earthquake-proof standards, because it's a very old city, and it's practically impossible to -- they have to rebuild the whole city if they want to do that.

WHITFIELD: So this is very unusual then, Shirzad that earthquake would even strike, not alone just at this scale, in that area? BOZORGMEHR: No, no, it's not very unusual. It's actually very normal. This is an earthquake-prone country, and that region is more earthquake prone than any other part of the country. Several earthquakes have happened in that city in recent memory, and some of them were devastating. So it was to be expected, but there isn't much they could do about it, unless they wanted to just tell the people to move from that city, that's a city that has roots, and people have roots in it, they really couldn't do much about it so far.

WHITFIELD: You said the international help is on the way, but for now, what is the scene? How is it that people are trying to band together to help remove the debris with their own bare hands until some sophisticated equipment can come in?

BOZORGMEHR: Exactly, because as I said, the local authorities have been devastated themselves. They couldn't do much about it. It's -- the help began coming from the capital, Tehran, and also the province in Kerman. Kerman is about 100 miles from the city, the stricken city, so that took some time to get there. And also, a lot of people who heard about the earthquake started driving to that city, because they have family there. So all the freeways are clogged up. So the police are now preventing private cars from going there, and giving priority to emergency vehicles.

WHITFIELD: It's an unbelievable situation there. Shirzad Bozorgmehr, thanks very much for giving us this update on the phone from Tehran.

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 - 10:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take a look overseas now in Iran, where thousands of people died today in a major earthquake. U.S. quake experts are saying it measured 6.7, while Iranian officials are saying 6.3. It was powerful enough to flatten almost everything in its past. The epicenter of the devastation is in the ancient city of Bam (ph), in Southeastern Iran.
Journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr is on the telephone with us from Tehran with an update.

What's the latest there?

SHIRZAD BOZORGMEHR, JOURNALIST: Fredricka, several countries, including Russia, Greece and France have expressed readiness to send men and equipment to Iran to help rescue the victims of the quake which has so far killed 4,000 people in the southern city of Bam in Kirman (ph) province. The quake, which measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale, as we said, hit the ancient desert city of Bam early Friday morning. Local officials say that so far, at least 4,000 people have been discovered that they are dead, but they also say that the figure, final figure, could reach somewhere around 20,000 or more; 30,000 people have been confirmed injured. All the injured are being transported to other cities and other provinces in the hospitals, because the local hospitals have been devastated, and there are no crew left to take care of the injured.

Iran is using seven helicopter and five C-130 transport planes to move these people to other cities and put them in hospitals for medical treatment. As I said, several other countries, including the United Nations have offered help. The United Nations has freed a $90,000 grant and has said that a team of experts will soon fly to Iran to assess the damage and ways of dealing with it.

WHITFIELD: And, Shirzad, why is it that the death toll is expected to rise as high as 20,000? What is it about the structures in this ancient city of Bam?

BOZORGMEHR: So far what we can see there are two main reasons. One, is the structure of the city. This is an ancient city. It goes back to over 2,000 years when it was founded. It's gone through many restorations, but it has never been -- the structures have never been made to adjust to earthquake-proof standards, because it's a very old city, and it's practically impossible to -- they have to rebuild the whole city if they want to do that.

WHITFIELD: So this is very unusual then, Shirzad that earthquake would even strike, not alone just at this scale, in that area? BOZORGMEHR: No, no, it's not very unusual. It's actually very normal. This is an earthquake-prone country, and that region is more earthquake prone than any other part of the country. Several earthquakes have happened in that city in recent memory, and some of them were devastating. So it was to be expected, but there isn't much they could do about it, unless they wanted to just tell the people to move from that city, that's a city that has roots, and people have roots in it, they really couldn't do much about it so far.

WHITFIELD: You said the international help is on the way, but for now, what is the scene? How is it that people are trying to band together to help remove the debris with their own bare hands until some sophisticated equipment can come in?

BOZORGMEHR: Exactly, because as I said, the local authorities have been devastated themselves. They couldn't do much about it. It's -- the help began coming from the capital, Tehran, and also the province in Kerman. Kerman is about 100 miles from the city, the stricken city, so that took some time to get there. And also, a lot of people who heard about the earthquake started driving to that city, because they have family there. So all the freeways are clogged up. So the police are now preventing private cars from going there, and giving priority to emergency vehicles.

WHITFIELD: It's an unbelievable situation there. Shirzad Bozorgmehr, thanks very much for giving us this update on the phone from Tehran.

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