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CNN Live At Daybreak
Iran Earthquake, Official Death Toll Placed at 28,000
Aired December 30, 2003 - 06:32 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: The number of dead just keeps growing. Officially in Iran, 28,000 are dead, but government officials say as many as 50,000 people may have died in that huge earthquake. This morning, it's another day of grim survival in Bam.
Our Ryan Chilcote is there.
Good morning -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, that number of 28,000 is coming from an Iranian official here on the ground. That is the number of bodies, according to that Iranian official, that they have pulled from underneath the rubble.
Sadly, the U.N. officer, who is coordinating the international relief effort here, says that since this relief effort began they have not been able to rescue anyone alive from underneath the rubble. And, in fact, many people are saying that it is extremely unlikely now, more than 100 hours after this earthquake happened, that someone will be found alive underneath the rubble. Of course, hope remains.
Now, five countries pulled out of the relief effort today, including the United Kingdom and Germany. The number of aid workers from abroad has gone from 1,700 to 1,200. But teams continue to come into Iran, including a team from the United States, a team of some 80 officials. They arrived just moments ago at the camp where I am right now, where all of the international aid workers have gathered.
This is primarily a medical team that will include some 14 surgeons, 20 nurses. Their goal is to set up field hospitals here that will include a pediatric unit to provide some of that desperately needed medical assistance to the people of Bam.
They also have an assessment team on the ground. Their job is to determine the humanitarian needs of the people here of Bam. And, of course, those needs are great.
First and foremost -- the concern is, first and foremost, the concern of the possible threat of the spread of disease from those decomposing bodies that have yet to be buried; also the problem of housing. There is next to no housing in this city, or what was a city of 200,000 people. That is a very serious issue. People are living in tents now, but they're going to need to be moved into some more serious structures -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live from Bam, Iran, 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 December 30, 2003 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The number of dead just keeps growing. Officially in Iran, 28,000 are dead, but government officials say as many as 50,000 people may have died in that huge earthquake. This morning, it's another day of grim survival in Bam.
Our Ryan Chilcote is there.
Good morning -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, that number of 28,000 is coming from an Iranian official here on the ground. That is the number of bodies, according to that Iranian official, that they have pulled from underneath the rubble.
Sadly, the U.N. officer, who is coordinating the international relief effort here, says that since this relief effort began they have not been able to rescue anyone alive from underneath the rubble. And, in fact, many people are saying that it is extremely unlikely now, more than 100 hours after this earthquake happened, that someone will be found alive underneath the rubble. Of course, hope remains.
Now, five countries pulled out of the relief effort today, including the United Kingdom and Germany. The number of aid workers from abroad has gone from 1,700 to 1,200. But teams continue to come into Iran, including a team from the United States, a team of some 80 officials. They arrived just moments ago at the camp where I am right now, where all of the international aid workers have gathered.
This is primarily a medical team that will include some 14 surgeons, 20 nurses. Their goal is to set up field hospitals here that will include a pediatric unit to provide some of that desperately needed medical assistance to the people of Bam.
They also have an assessment team on the ground. Their job is to determine the humanitarian needs of the people here of Bam. And, of course, those needs are great.
First and foremost -- the concern is, first and foremost, the concern of the possible threat of the spread of disease from those decomposing bodies that have yet to be buried; also the problem of housing. There is next to no housing in this city, or what was a city of 200,000 people. That is a very serious issue. People are living in tents now, but they're going to need to be moved into some more serious structures -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live from Bam, Iran, 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.
