Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Death Toll From Earthquake in City of Bam Climbs to 30,000

Aired December 31, 2003 - 05:37   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: To Iran now, where the death toll from that earthquake in the city of Bam has climbed to 30,000. Thousands of people have been left homeless, as well.
To CNN's Kasra Naji now, live via video phone from Bam -- good morning.

KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The U.S. has, indeed, now joined the international effort to help -- efforts to help the victims of this earthquake. They've had yesterday 83 American aid workers -- doctors, nurses and other aid workers -- coming in, arriving with medical supplies to assess and provide for medical needs of survivors of this earthquake. And now, as we speak, just a few moments or a few minutes up the road from where we are, they are setting up their camp for the first time.

Many of them belong to various government agencies, aid agencies, so therefore technically they are government officials. And the sight of them here setting up camp is completely new to this country. We haven't had this for a long time. The interesting thing is that America is trying to help Iran at a time of need and Iranians are happy to receive it. It's something we haven't seen.

And, also, on top of their big tents they're setting up, a huge American flag. We haven't seen that for 20 years -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kasra, I understand you've gotten a chance to walk around Bam a little bit.

Can you tell us about the sights and the sounds?

NAJI: Yes. It's very sad, indeed, as you might imagine. The city itself is completely flattened. There's nothing left there. There are pockets of people at tent cities here and there. People live in tents. They've been spending the night in the cold outside, freezing cold, and you see them huddled by these log fires that they have outside their tents.

I saw a truck distributing bags of potato and people running after the truck, receiving these bags of potatoes, small kids sort of running and falling from behind, falling behind the truck, that kind of scene. And people basically gathering what they can, salvaging what they can from the ruins of their houses, of, you know, fridges or television sets or clothes. And you see them carrying these things away, either on hand or on their backs or they hire these pickup trucks to put them on and leave the town. Many people are leaving the town because, first, it's very, very cold here in the tents. They go and join their relatives elsewhere. There's a risk of the spread of disease here. And, sadly, there's nothing for them here to stay here anymore -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kasra Naji reporting live from Bam, Iran this morning.

You can see a photo gallery of the rescue efforts in Bam or get a satellite image of the damage. It's on our Web site at cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




30,000>


Aired December 31, 2003 - 05:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To Iran now, where the death toll from that earthquake in the city of Bam has climbed to 30,000. Thousands of people have been left homeless, as well.
To CNN's Kasra Naji now, live via video phone from Bam -- good morning.

KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

The U.S. has, indeed, now joined the international effort to help -- efforts to help the victims of this earthquake. They've had yesterday 83 American aid workers -- doctors, nurses and other aid workers -- coming in, arriving with medical supplies to assess and provide for medical needs of survivors of this earthquake. And now, as we speak, just a few moments or a few minutes up the road from where we are, they are setting up their camp for the first time.

Many of them belong to various government agencies, aid agencies, so therefore technically they are government officials. And the sight of them here setting up camp is completely new to this country. We haven't had this for a long time. The interesting thing is that America is trying to help Iran at a time of need and Iranians are happy to receive it. It's something we haven't seen.

And, also, on top of their big tents they're setting up, a huge American flag. We haven't seen that for 20 years -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kasra, I understand you've gotten a chance to walk around Bam a little bit.

Can you tell us about the sights and the sounds?

NAJI: Yes. It's very sad, indeed, as you might imagine. The city itself is completely flattened. There's nothing left there. There are pockets of people at tent cities here and there. People live in tents. They've been spending the night in the cold outside, freezing cold, and you see them huddled by these log fires that they have outside their tents.

I saw a truck distributing bags of potato and people running after the truck, receiving these bags of potatoes, small kids sort of running and falling from behind, falling behind the truck, that kind of scene. And people basically gathering what they can, salvaging what they can from the ruins of their houses, of, you know, fridges or television sets or clothes. And you see them carrying these things away, either on hand or on their backs or they hire these pickup trucks to put them on and leave the town. Many people are leaving the town because, first, it's very, very cold here in the tents. They go and join their relatives elsewhere. There's a risk of the spread of disease here. And, sadly, there's nothing for them here to stay here anymore -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kasra Naji reporting live from Bam, Iran this morning.

You can see a photo gallery of the rescue efforts in Bam or get a satellite image of the damage. It's on our Web site at cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.

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




30,000>