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CNN Live Today

Earthquake in Iran

Aired December 31, 2003 - 11:36   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: Iran says the death toll from last week's earthquake reached 30,000 today, and may top 50,000 before the recovery effort ends.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in the hardest hit city of Bam. He joins us via videophone -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, 30,000 is an absolutely astonishing number. That is the number of bodies, according to Iranian Television, that have been recovered from underneath the rubble since this earthquake that destroyed this town Friday.

We have some aerial pictures of the city. These were taken from a helicopter yesterday. It will give you an idea of the level of the extent of the destruction of the city; 90 percent of the buildings in this city were destroyed in that earthquake. Absolutely astonishing pictures there.

The president of Iran, Mohammed Khatami, has said that the death toll, as I said, now stands at 30,000, could rise to 50,000 by the time they're done pulling the bodies out from underneath the rubble.

Now, aid officials, aid workers, had been emphasizing that this is day six of the rescue efforts, and it is unlikely that they will pull out anyone at this point out from underneath the rubble alive, that they will rescue anyone.

Still, they are hopeful that as we speak, there is a group of aid workers across town at a site right now. They have some sniffer dogs with them. Those dogs are picked up some hints, some signs of life beneath the rubble. That team is scrambling to clear through that wreckage. They think there might be someone alive beneath the rubble there. So we'll keep you updated on that story there -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much for that report.

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 31, 2003 - 11:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Iran says the death toll from last week's earthquake reached 30,000 today, and may top 50,000 before the recovery effort ends.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in the hardest hit city of Bam. He joins us via videophone -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, 30,000 is an absolutely astonishing number. That is the number of bodies, according to Iranian Television, that have been recovered from underneath the rubble since this earthquake that destroyed this town Friday.

We have some aerial pictures of the city. These were taken from a helicopter yesterday. It will give you an idea of the level of the extent of the destruction of the city; 90 percent of the buildings in this city were destroyed in that earthquake. Absolutely astonishing pictures there.

The president of Iran, Mohammed Khatami, has said that the death toll, as I said, now stands at 30,000, could rise to 50,000 by the time they're done pulling the bodies out from underneath the rubble.

Now, aid officials, aid workers, had been emphasizing that this is day six of the rescue efforts, and it is unlikely that they will pull out anyone at this point out from underneath the rubble alive, that they will rescue anyone.

Still, they are hopeful that as we speak, there is a group of aid workers across town at a site right now. They have some sniffer dogs with them. Those dogs are picked up some hints, some signs of life beneath the rubble. That team is scrambling to clear through that wreckage. They think there might be someone alive beneath the rubble there. So we'll keep you updated on that story there -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Ryan Chilcote, thanks very much for that report.

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