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CNN Live At Daybreak
Tsunami Death Toll Rises; New Tsunami Warnings Cause Panic
Aired December 30, 2004 - 06:00 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: India doesn't want to get caught by surprise again, but its warnings of another tsunami lead to panic throughout the region this morning. Help from around the world is on the way to stricken areas. Is the United States doing enough? Their people are without loved ones, without food or water. And Asian nations are also now without much of the tourism industry that so many depend on.
It is Thursday, December 30.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, the death toll from the tsunamis continues to rise. More than 80,000 are dead and some relief officials say that number could easily top 100,000. Thousands of people are still missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists vacationing in the region.
India has issued a tsunami warning and encouraged residents of some coastal areas to head to high ground. The announcement caused panic among many still reeling from the first waves. But scientists say no major seismic events have occurred recently that would cause a tsunami to hit India. So, in essence, it was a false alarm.
Apparently al Qaeda has been conducting surveillance in the United States. That's according to an FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin to local and state police. But the memo also says there is no evidence that an attack is imminent.
And the woman accused of killing a pregnant mother and stealing the baby from her womb is heading back to court today. A Missouri judge will decide if Lisa Montgomery can be freed on bond. Today's hearing will also decide if the case heads to a grand jury.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Fear gripped tsunami survivors today. Word that more killer waves could be on the way. Governments immediately prepared to take action.
Let's head live to Sri Lanka's hard hit town of Galle and Satinder Bindra.
In essence, Satinder, this turned out to be a false alarm.
But what happened when people heard it?
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was here in the harbor, as well. And there was a warning that came from an Indian naval ship which is about two kilometers off the coast here. The warning was a tsunami is going to hit in 20 minutes.
Immediately, people started running everywhere. They started running for high ground. The Sri Lankan government, too, then thought about issuing a warning, but then changed its mind.
As all this was going on, people were, of course, increasingly worried. They were looking out to sea. The sea, of course, stayed calm, and then people slowly got about their business.
The big business in town today is reconstruction. It's day five since the tsunamis struck and the Sri Lankan president, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, is leading her nation in trying to resolve matters such as food, relief, where this relief will be delivered. Yesterday, the Sri Lankan president visited the south. She tried to inspire her people, tried to tell them that they still have a future.
We are hearing some very warm stories. There's a hotelier right next to me and the hotelier has converted this hotel into a hospital to help his people.
International efforts, too, are now in full swing. International teams are here. There's a team of Indian divers here in this harbor and they have a huge task ahead of them. This entire harbor is clogged with ships. Several ships have now been removed, but they have a huge task ahead of them, these divers.
We're going to show you a shot here, Carol. We're going to just push in. And this is a shot of a ship. It weighs 1,500 tons. It's almost the size of an entire apartment complex. But this entire ship was lifted out of the water, virtually like a toy, and plunked straight on the jetty.
Now, Indian divers and Indian engineers will have to remove this ship from the jetty and put it back in the water, a small illustration of the huge tasks ahead.
COSTELLO: So much work to do.
Satinder Bindra reporting live from Sri Lanka this morning.
Thank you.
Let's talk more about that false alarm that a tsunami was going to hit in 20 minutes. We want to head to Thailand now and Aneesh Raman.
What was the reaction there -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.
Panic, as well, here. Everyone not quite sure what to do when they hear these warnings, except to run. And so people are aware that it's been quite some time and they thought things had stabilized. But then the minute you mention the word tsunami, as you can imagine, all the people on this part of the world immediately go into shock and fear.
Incidentally, I think a day after the initial waves came crashing down, there was a full moon here. And as happens with that, the water recedes at night. People then remembered the warning signs that had been the mantra of scientists, that when waters recede, that means the waves are coming, and they began to panic, as well.
So there's an onset of fear that has never really left, even though we're in day five, that something more could happen.
Now, the death toll here has risen now to about 2,000, but the Thai prime minister is saying that could rise even further. Not in that total are some 4,000 people that remain missing. And as we go forward, it is more likely that they will be found dead.
We just came from a relief center here on Phuket Island. And, Carol, just stark images. There's a wall of those missing, photographs that are put up by family members, posters made by them with phone numbers to contact if you know where their displaced relatives are. Also, pictures of dead bodies so that family members can come and try and identify the remains of their loved ones.
The Thai country has really shown enormous support for the foreigners who are here. People have come from all over who speak foreign languages, just to also help out in loading trucks and in getting relief to those critical areas -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, I was reading the papers over there, in fact, I was reading one specifically from Bangkok, Thailand. They said one of the problems is the relief is coming in, but there are so many people looking for their families that their vehicles are blocking the roadways and preventing relief from getting in.
Are you seeing any of that?
RAMAN: Yes. There is definitely people just completely wandering around. There hasn't been, in all of these areas, severe destruction to the point that you still have roads that are functioning. And as you can imagine, with so many tourists here, five days out of this you still don't know where your wife is, you still can't find your child, you have no idea where your husband is at the moment. So people are frantically going all around the island, desperately trying to reconnect and trying to trace back the likely places they would be. It's not like they're at home so that they could go to a central location that everyone would return to. They're in a foreign area and, you know, perhaps they could not even see beyond their hotel initially.
So there's an odd, surreal feeling here, people almost zombiesque, just kind of walking around, not sure when to leave, if to leave and how long to keep looking -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman reporting live for us this morning from Thailand.
Thank you.
We want to head to Banda Aceh now.
Our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy there -- is there now.
And, Mike, I wanted to ask you, I read, too, that they're having a big problem coordinating everything because, you know, there's damage in so many different countries. And even this false tsunami warning that came out, that kind of shows me a lack of coordination there, as well.
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the scale of this is so enormous, Carol, I mean it really defies the imagination. The number of countries that are affected, and all of these countries are Third World, developing countries. They're all poor. Some of them, like Indonesia or Sri Lanka or India, parts of them, anyway, among the poorest in the world. So these are places that did not have any kind of well developed infrastructure, did not have strong medical services, did not have anything like early warning systems that you'd see in a more developed country in the West.
And so that's the starting point. And then you have this enormous, enormous tsunami. And here in Indonesia, before you had that, you had an earthquake of a 9.0 magnitude that went on for five minutes. And so in the Indonesian case, the level of devastation is so enormous because buildings that were either toppled or weakened by the quake were then flattened altogether and swept away by the tsunami.
And, again, here in Aceh, in the northernmost part of Indonesia, the damage has been so great that it essentially wiped out the local government, the military, the police, government officials were as badly affected as the civilian population. Many Indonesian soldiers here, for example, have their families with them and hundreds and hundreds of soldiers were killed, as well as relatives. And so many members of the military, instead of being able to be deployed immediately and efficiently on a relief effort, are frantically looking for their own wives and children.
So you add to that also generally slow moving government bureaucracies, big, unwieldy countries, complicated political systems, and all of it is a recipe for things not moving quickly, and, as a result, increasing levels of misery on the part of millions of people -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Mike Chinoy reporting live from Banda Aceh in Indonesia this morning.
Thank you, Mike.
The Indian Navy fans out across the Andaman Islands, searching for survivors, survivors that are now refugees. Many believe they will not be able to return to their homes for years.
Also, a tsunami alarm in India creates panic among people at the beach. But was there really any danger? We're going to explore that issue much more on DAYBREAK.
And what did they know that we don't? Why so many animals have been found -- so many animals managed to survive. They have not found many dead animals here. They have some sort of eerie early warning system. We'll also explore that issue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Developing news out of Philadelphia this morning. A church fire has forced people out of their homes there. These pictures, well, we're actually just getting them in. I'm seeing them for the first time along with you. Residents of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood had to be evacuated after a large church building caught fire about two hours ago. No one's been reported hurt. Firefighters appear to be getting the upper hand, but as you can see, they still have a big job ahead.
We'll keep you posted on this big fire in Philadelphia this morning.
Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
What can eBay tell us about ourselves? Well, if you look at the Web site's most common search terms for 2004, Americans like traveling and very expensive handbags.
Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site -- good morning, Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We all know that latter part, right, Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes.
LEE: Expensive handbags always popular. But it's interesting, because "USA Today" is reporting that the top search term on eBay for 2004 was actually "RV," as in recreational vehicle. Now, those handbags, well, Louis Vitton was number two, but "RV" really an interesting sign of the times, because back in 2003, BMW was the top search term. In 2002, it was Gucci, another brand name. So "RV" may be a sign that people aren't as label conscious as they have been in the past. Some other interesting eBay factoids, 900 MP3 players are sold each day. A diamond ring sells every two minutes and a book sells every two seconds. Overall, Carol, $1,060 worth of merchandise flows through the massive Web site every second. So eBay is really part of Americana and it certainly has been a very successful business.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
LEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: Absolutely.
A quick look at the futures before you go?
LEE: Futures looking slightly higher right now, but all in all it's probably going to be another light session. We had a little bit of selling at the close yesterday. We do get a look at weekly jobless claims at 8:30. That's really the only economic news.
One stock to watch today, Boeing. Continental has put in an order for 10 of the airplane maker's new 7E7 planes, the first U.S. carrier to do so.
That's the latest.
COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
India issued a tsunami warning this morning for its southern coastal areas. Officials say it was based on new information that a major quake could occur near Australia. People reacted in panic, but no evidence of major seismic activity has been reported. It turned out to be a false alarm.
Several people were injured during two explosions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One blast occurred when a militant tried to break through a checkpoint near the interior ministry. At least three militants were killed in the explosions.
In money news, a new policy will once again allow cows to come into the United States from Canada. The borders were closed to Canadian cattle more than 19 months ago, after a case of mad cow was discovered. The new policy takes effect in March.
In culture, actor Jerry Orbach has died after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Orbach may be best known for his 12-year run on the TV show "Law and Order." He was just 69 years old.
In sports, Ohio State came out on top in the battle of the O states. Ohio State started playing without its starting quarterback, easily beat Oklahoma State 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl. Troy Smith, the quarterback for Ohio State, was suspended after taking an unspecified but improper gift from a team booster.
Big investigation now going on in Columbus -- Chad.
MYERS: Oh, that's all they need, another scandal.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Chad, we have to talk about a very interesting angle of the story out of Sri Lanka.
Did you read about this?
MYERS: The...
COSTELLO: The animals.
MYERS: Oh, no, I thought you meant the wrong tsunami warning.
The animals, yes, they didn't find any lying around.
COSTELLO: Yes, no evidence of a large number of animals dying in the tsunamis. In other words, they believe the animals kind of knew it was coming.
MYERS: Yes. Well, you know, obviously animals can scramble up trees, at least the ones that are ground dwelling can better than, obviously, you know, people can. But it sounds like they just -- they ran away from the water before the water got there.
COSTELLO: Yes, they sensed something and they got out of the areas of danger. In fact, a photographer flew over this huge national park and saw a large number of elephants and water buffalo wandering around but absolutely no dead animals.
Is that not amazing?
MYERS: It truly is. I mean an elephant obviously has a little bit of mass and tall legs. But, you know...
COSTELLO: And probably wasn't near the beach.
MYERS: It probably wasn't drinking salt water, right.
COSTELLO: True. But, you know, all kinds of animals we're talking about. So maybe -- like dogs.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: Cats. A lot of dogs on those islands.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: And they did not find a great number of dead dogs anywhere, so you have to wonder about using them as a possible early warning system.
MYERS: Well, there are a few success stories on any of those beaches. At least maybe that may be one of them.
COSTELLO: You never know.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We follow an Indian Navy ship on a humanitarian mission in one of the hardest hit areas. That story is just ahead.
Plus, we learn more about the generosity of Americans and the U.S. relief effort. Yes, Americans really are generous, despite the e-mails we were reading earlier this morning.
There is much more ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the car! Look at the car! Get in! Get in! Get in! Hey! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: You know, I don't even think I need to add any words. You can see for yourself what happened. This is amateur video from Malaysia. This family didn't realize at first what was happening until they saw that car floating by. And then they realized the power of the waves. And, sadly, we know this family was on vacation, but we don't know what happened to them. It's just a sad story, isn't it?
The loss of loved ones, the stench of death too overpowering for many survivors on some of the hardest hit Indian islands, the destruction too insurmountable. So the government has sent the Navy to the rescue.
Our Malika Kapur has details for you on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MALIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Indian Navy warship on a humanitarian mission. On board the Rajput, which means the brave, there are more than 200 passengers, refugees from remote Hadbe Island (ph), one of the Andaman chain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We are going to stay here now. There is nothing left at home, nothing at all. The water has destroyed everything.
KAPUR: Steering the survivors to safety, Captain K.S. Appaya. He calls the rescue mission his duty.
CAPT. K.S. APPAYA, INDIAN NAVY: It's moral because, because one is providing relief to fellow humans. And it is patriotic because they all happen to be Indian. So we are doing our job as a citizen of the country.
KAPUR (on camera): The Indian Navy is trying to reach some 30 islands in this scattered chain more than 900 miles from the mainland. So far, some 3,000 people are thought to have died. Thousands more are still missing.
When the refugees reach the island's capital, Port Blair, they make their way to shelters set up in schools and churches.
In this local church ground, there's food, shelter and water. For some, that's little consolation. But it's better than the alternative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The smell of death was unbearable. We couldn't stay any longer. So we decided to leave.
KAPUR: Volunteers are doing their best to help. Port Blair was not as badly hit by the waves, and local residents are bringing food and clothes to the refugees. Volunteers appeal to the public for more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Please help and bring the milk. The children need it.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
KAPUR: Carol, for many of these survivors who have continued to pour into Port Blair, the capital city over here, the journey is just beginning. Many of the refugees we've spoken to say they have no idea how long they'll stay here or where they'll go next. One thing they do know is that going home isn't an option for them because they have nothing to go back to -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Malika Kapur joining us live this morning.
Thank you.
We will bring you much more on the tsunami disaster and recovery efforts in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the last half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, the International Red Cross says a death toll from last weekend's earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia could go beyond 100,000. Authorities have so far counted more than 80,000 dead, nearly half of those in Indonesia. So far, $220 million has been pledged to the relief effort. India issued a tsunami warning this morning and ordered residents in one hard hit region to head for higher ground. But it was a false alarm. U.S. seismologists say there was no measured activity in the area strong enough to have caused a tsunami.
The FBI is out with a new bulletin giving details of al Qaeda surveillance activities in the United States. But the bulletin says there's nothing to indicate that al Qaeda has moved into operational stage for an attack.
And CNN has learned that during the past four days, laser beams have illuminated the cockpits of six commercial airliners approaching U.S. airports. A government official says none of the flights were affected. The government warned last month that terrorists might use lasers to try to blind pilots.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A false alarm and widespread panic about five hours ago. India's home ministry issued a new tsunami warning. People were told to move away from the coastlines. The warning was for the southern state of Tamil Nadu. No major seismic activity had been reported in the area, though. But that did not stop people who've already been through one horrific event from reacting in absolute panic.
CNN correspondent Ram Ramgopal is there.
He joins us now to clarify what's happening there -- hello.
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, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: India doesn't want to get caught by surprise again, but its warnings of another tsunami lead to panic throughout the region this morning. Help from around the world is on the way to stricken areas. Is the United States doing enough? Their people are without loved ones, without food or water. And Asian nations are also now without much of the tourism industry that so many depend on.
It is Thursday, December 30.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, the death toll from the tsunamis continues to rise. More than 80,000 are dead and some relief officials say that number could easily top 100,000. Thousands of people are still missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists vacationing in the region.
India has issued a tsunami warning and encouraged residents of some coastal areas to head to high ground. The announcement caused panic among many still reeling from the first waves. But scientists say no major seismic events have occurred recently that would cause a tsunami to hit India. So, in essence, it was a false alarm.
Apparently al Qaeda has been conducting surveillance in the United States. That's according to an FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin to local and state police. But the memo also says there is no evidence that an attack is imminent.
And the woman accused of killing a pregnant mother and stealing the baby from her womb is heading back to court today. A Missouri judge will decide if Lisa Montgomery can be freed on bond. Today's hearing will also decide if the case heads to a grand jury.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Fear gripped tsunami survivors today. Word that more killer waves could be on the way. Governments immediately prepared to take action.
Let's head live to Sri Lanka's hard hit town of Galle and Satinder Bindra.
In essence, Satinder, this turned out to be a false alarm.
But what happened when people heard it?
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was here in the harbor, as well. And there was a warning that came from an Indian naval ship which is about two kilometers off the coast here. The warning was a tsunami is going to hit in 20 minutes.
Immediately, people started running everywhere. They started running for high ground. The Sri Lankan government, too, then thought about issuing a warning, but then changed its mind.
As all this was going on, people were, of course, increasingly worried. They were looking out to sea. The sea, of course, stayed calm, and then people slowly got about their business.
The big business in town today is reconstruction. It's day five since the tsunamis struck and the Sri Lankan president, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, is leading her nation in trying to resolve matters such as food, relief, where this relief will be delivered. Yesterday, the Sri Lankan president visited the south. She tried to inspire her people, tried to tell them that they still have a future.
We are hearing some very warm stories. There's a hotelier right next to me and the hotelier has converted this hotel into a hospital to help his people.
International efforts, too, are now in full swing. International teams are here. There's a team of Indian divers here in this harbor and they have a huge task ahead of them. This entire harbor is clogged with ships. Several ships have now been removed, but they have a huge task ahead of them, these divers.
We're going to show you a shot here, Carol. We're going to just push in. And this is a shot of a ship. It weighs 1,500 tons. It's almost the size of an entire apartment complex. But this entire ship was lifted out of the water, virtually like a toy, and plunked straight on the jetty.
Now, Indian divers and Indian engineers will have to remove this ship from the jetty and put it back in the water, a small illustration of the huge tasks ahead.
COSTELLO: So much work to do.
Satinder Bindra reporting live from Sri Lanka this morning.
Thank you.
Let's talk more about that false alarm that a tsunami was going to hit in 20 minutes. We want to head to Thailand now and Aneesh Raman.
What was the reaction there -- Aneesh.
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.
Panic, as well, here. Everyone not quite sure what to do when they hear these warnings, except to run. And so people are aware that it's been quite some time and they thought things had stabilized. But then the minute you mention the word tsunami, as you can imagine, all the people on this part of the world immediately go into shock and fear.
Incidentally, I think a day after the initial waves came crashing down, there was a full moon here. And as happens with that, the water recedes at night. People then remembered the warning signs that had been the mantra of scientists, that when waters recede, that means the waves are coming, and they began to panic, as well.
So there's an onset of fear that has never really left, even though we're in day five, that something more could happen.
Now, the death toll here has risen now to about 2,000, but the Thai prime minister is saying that could rise even further. Not in that total are some 4,000 people that remain missing. And as we go forward, it is more likely that they will be found dead.
We just came from a relief center here on Phuket Island. And, Carol, just stark images. There's a wall of those missing, photographs that are put up by family members, posters made by them with phone numbers to contact if you know where their displaced relatives are. Also, pictures of dead bodies so that family members can come and try and identify the remains of their loved ones.
The Thai country has really shown enormous support for the foreigners who are here. People have come from all over who speak foreign languages, just to also help out in loading trucks and in getting relief to those critical areas -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, I was reading the papers over there, in fact, I was reading one specifically from Bangkok, Thailand. They said one of the problems is the relief is coming in, but there are so many people looking for their families that their vehicles are blocking the roadways and preventing relief from getting in.
Are you seeing any of that?
RAMAN: Yes. There is definitely people just completely wandering around. There hasn't been, in all of these areas, severe destruction to the point that you still have roads that are functioning. And as you can imagine, with so many tourists here, five days out of this you still don't know where your wife is, you still can't find your child, you have no idea where your husband is at the moment. So people are frantically going all around the island, desperately trying to reconnect and trying to trace back the likely places they would be. It's not like they're at home so that they could go to a central location that everyone would return to. They're in a foreign area and, you know, perhaps they could not even see beyond their hotel initially.
So there's an odd, surreal feeling here, people almost zombiesque, just kind of walking around, not sure when to leave, if to leave and how long to keep looking -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman reporting live for us this morning from Thailand.
Thank you.
We want to head to Banda Aceh now.
Our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy there -- is there now.
And, Mike, I wanted to ask you, I read, too, that they're having a big problem coordinating everything because, you know, there's damage in so many different countries. And even this false tsunami warning that came out, that kind of shows me a lack of coordination there, as well.
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the scale of this is so enormous, Carol, I mean it really defies the imagination. The number of countries that are affected, and all of these countries are Third World, developing countries. They're all poor. Some of them, like Indonesia or Sri Lanka or India, parts of them, anyway, among the poorest in the world. So these are places that did not have any kind of well developed infrastructure, did not have strong medical services, did not have anything like early warning systems that you'd see in a more developed country in the West.
And so that's the starting point. And then you have this enormous, enormous tsunami. And here in Indonesia, before you had that, you had an earthquake of a 9.0 magnitude that went on for five minutes. And so in the Indonesian case, the level of devastation is so enormous because buildings that were either toppled or weakened by the quake were then flattened altogether and swept away by the tsunami.
And, again, here in Aceh, in the northernmost part of Indonesia, the damage has been so great that it essentially wiped out the local government, the military, the police, government officials were as badly affected as the civilian population. Many Indonesian soldiers here, for example, have their families with them and hundreds and hundreds of soldiers were killed, as well as relatives. And so many members of the military, instead of being able to be deployed immediately and efficiently on a relief effort, are frantically looking for their own wives and children.
So you add to that also generally slow moving government bureaucracies, big, unwieldy countries, complicated political systems, and all of it is a recipe for things not moving quickly, and, as a result, increasing levels of misery on the part of millions of people -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Mike Chinoy reporting live from Banda Aceh in Indonesia this morning.
Thank you, Mike.
The Indian Navy fans out across the Andaman Islands, searching for survivors, survivors that are now refugees. Many believe they will not be able to return to their homes for years.
Also, a tsunami alarm in India creates panic among people at the beach. But was there really any danger? We're going to explore that issue much more on DAYBREAK.
And what did they know that we don't? Why so many animals have been found -- so many animals managed to survive. They have not found many dead animals here. They have some sort of eerie early warning system. We'll also explore that issue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Developing news out of Philadelphia this morning. A church fire has forced people out of their homes there. These pictures, well, we're actually just getting them in. I'm seeing them for the first time along with you. Residents of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood had to be evacuated after a large church building caught fire about two hours ago. No one's been reported hurt. Firefighters appear to be getting the upper hand, but as you can see, they still have a big job ahead.
We'll keep you posted on this big fire in Philadelphia this morning.
Time now for a little "Business Buzz."
What can eBay tell us about ourselves? Well, if you look at the Web site's most common search terms for 2004, Americans like traveling and very expensive handbags.
Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site -- good morning, Carrie.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We all know that latter part, right, Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes.
LEE: Expensive handbags always popular. But it's interesting, because "USA Today" is reporting that the top search term on eBay for 2004 was actually "RV," as in recreational vehicle. Now, those handbags, well, Louis Vitton was number two, but "RV" really an interesting sign of the times, because back in 2003, BMW was the top search term. In 2002, it was Gucci, another brand name. So "RV" may be a sign that people aren't as label conscious as they have been in the past. Some other interesting eBay factoids, 900 MP3 players are sold each day. A diamond ring sells every two minutes and a book sells every two seconds. Overall, Carol, $1,060 worth of merchandise flows through the massive Web site every second. So eBay is really part of Americana and it certainly has been a very successful business.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
LEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: Absolutely.
A quick look at the futures before you go?
LEE: Futures looking slightly higher right now, but all in all it's probably going to be another light session. We had a little bit of selling at the close yesterday. We do get a look at weekly jobless claims at 8:30. That's really the only economic news.
One stock to watch today, Boeing. Continental has put in an order for 10 of the airplane maker's new 7E7 planes, the first U.S. carrier to do so.
That's the latest.
COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.
Thank you.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:15 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
India issued a tsunami warning this morning for its southern coastal areas. Officials say it was based on new information that a major quake could occur near Australia. People reacted in panic, but no evidence of major seismic activity has been reported. It turned out to be a false alarm.
Several people were injured during two explosions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. One blast occurred when a militant tried to break through a checkpoint near the interior ministry. At least three militants were killed in the explosions.
In money news, a new policy will once again allow cows to come into the United States from Canada. The borders were closed to Canadian cattle more than 19 months ago, after a case of mad cow was discovered. The new policy takes effect in March.
In culture, actor Jerry Orbach has died after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Orbach may be best known for his 12-year run on the TV show "Law and Order." He was just 69 years old.
In sports, Ohio State came out on top in the battle of the O states. Ohio State started playing without its starting quarterback, easily beat Oklahoma State 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl. Troy Smith, the quarterback for Ohio State, was suspended after taking an unspecified but improper gift from a team booster.
Big investigation now going on in Columbus -- Chad.
MYERS: Oh, that's all they need, another scandal.
Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Chad, we have to talk about a very interesting angle of the story out of Sri Lanka.
Did you read about this?
MYERS: The...
COSTELLO: The animals.
MYERS: Oh, no, I thought you meant the wrong tsunami warning.
The animals, yes, they didn't find any lying around.
COSTELLO: Yes, no evidence of a large number of animals dying in the tsunamis. In other words, they believe the animals kind of knew it was coming.
MYERS: Yes. Well, you know, obviously animals can scramble up trees, at least the ones that are ground dwelling can better than, obviously, you know, people can. But it sounds like they just -- they ran away from the water before the water got there.
COSTELLO: Yes, they sensed something and they got out of the areas of danger. In fact, a photographer flew over this huge national park and saw a large number of elephants and water buffalo wandering around but absolutely no dead animals.
Is that not amazing?
MYERS: It truly is. I mean an elephant obviously has a little bit of mass and tall legs. But, you know...
COSTELLO: And probably wasn't near the beach.
MYERS: It probably wasn't drinking salt water, right.
COSTELLO: True. But, you know, all kinds of animals we're talking about. So maybe -- like dogs.
MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: Cats. A lot of dogs on those islands.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: And they did not find a great number of dead dogs anywhere, so you have to wonder about using them as a possible early warning system.
MYERS: Well, there are a few success stories on any of those beaches. At least maybe that may be one of them.
COSTELLO: You never know.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: We follow an Indian Navy ship on a humanitarian mission in one of the hardest hit areas. That story is just ahead.
Plus, we learn more about the generosity of Americans and the U.S. relief effort. Yes, Americans really are generous, despite the e-mails we were reading earlier this morning.
There is much more ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the car! Look at the car! Get in! Get in! Get in! Hey! (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COSTELLO: You know, I don't even think I need to add any words. You can see for yourself what happened. This is amateur video from Malaysia. This family didn't realize at first what was happening until they saw that car floating by. And then they realized the power of the waves. And, sadly, we know this family was on vacation, but we don't know what happened to them. It's just a sad story, isn't it?
The loss of loved ones, the stench of death too overpowering for many survivors on some of the hardest hit Indian islands, the destruction too insurmountable. So the government has sent the Navy to the rescue.
Our Malika Kapur has details for you on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MALIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An Indian Navy warship on a humanitarian mission. On board the Rajput, which means the brave, there are more than 200 passengers, refugees from remote Hadbe Island (ph), one of the Andaman chain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We are going to stay here now. There is nothing left at home, nothing at all. The water has destroyed everything.
KAPUR: Steering the survivors to safety, Captain K.S. Appaya. He calls the rescue mission his duty.
CAPT. K.S. APPAYA, INDIAN NAVY: It's moral because, because one is providing relief to fellow humans. And it is patriotic because they all happen to be Indian. So we are doing our job as a citizen of the country.
KAPUR (on camera): The Indian Navy is trying to reach some 30 islands in this scattered chain more than 900 miles from the mainland. So far, some 3,000 people are thought to have died. Thousands more are still missing.
When the refugees reach the island's capital, Port Blair, they make their way to shelters set up in schools and churches.
In this local church ground, there's food, shelter and water. For some, that's little consolation. But it's better than the alternative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The smell of death was unbearable. We couldn't stay any longer. So we decided to leave.
KAPUR: Volunteers are doing their best to help. Port Blair was not as badly hit by the waves, and local residents are bringing food and clothes to the refugees. Volunteers appeal to the public for more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Please help and bring the milk. The children need it.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
KAPUR: Carol, for many of these survivors who have continued to pour into Port Blair, the capital city over here, the journey is just beginning. Many of the refugees we've spoken to say they have no idea how long they'll stay here or where they'll go next. One thing they do know is that going home isn't an option for them because they have nothing to go back to -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Malika Kapur joining us live this morning.
Thank you.
We will bring you much more on the tsunami disaster and recovery efforts in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome to the last half hour of DAYBREAK.
From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
Now in the news, the International Red Cross says a death toll from last weekend's earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia could go beyond 100,000. Authorities have so far counted more than 80,000 dead, nearly half of those in Indonesia. So far, $220 million has been pledged to the relief effort. India issued a tsunami warning this morning and ordered residents in one hard hit region to head for higher ground. But it was a false alarm. U.S. seismologists say there was no measured activity in the area strong enough to have caused a tsunami.
The FBI is out with a new bulletin giving details of al Qaeda surveillance activities in the United States. But the bulletin says there's nothing to indicate that al Qaeda has moved into operational stage for an attack.
And CNN has learned that during the past four days, laser beams have illuminated the cockpits of six commercial airliners approaching U.S. airports. A government official says none of the flights were affected. The government warned last month that terrorists might use lasers to try to blind pilots.
To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: A false alarm and widespread panic about five hours ago. India's home ministry issued a new tsunami warning. People were told to move away from the coastlines. The warning was for the southern state of Tamil Nadu. No major seismic activity had been reported in the area, though. But that did not stop people who've already been through one horrific event from reacting in absolute panic.
CNN correspondent Ram Ramgopal is there.
He joins us now to clarify what's happening there -- hello.
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