Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

What Incoming Congressmen Plan to Do for Tsunami Relief; Exact Number of Missing Americans Still Unknown

Aired January 04, 2005 - 11:31   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Helicopters from the USS Abraham Lincoln are ferrying supplies to tsunami victims in Indonesia again today. Around 1,000 Marines have arrived in Sri Lanka. They're bringing with them bulldozers, generators, tons of food, water and medicine as well. Sweden is loading its dead aboard military cargo planes in Thailand for the trip home; 52 Swedes are confirmed dead in the tsunami, but some 2,000 still haven't been heard from since the disaster.
Gunmen assassinated the governor of Baghdad province today in a roadside ambush. Elsewhere in the city, a suicide truck bomb killed eight Iraqi police commandos. Also in Iraq, four American soldiers and one Marine have been killed.

And the 109th Congress convenes next hour. One of the first orders of business will be a disaster assistance package for tsunami victims; a bill authorizing relief beyond the $350 million already allocated is allocated is awaiting lawmakers. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And now on a -- more on what incoming Congressmen plan to do for tsunami relief, congressional correspondent Ed Henry tracking the new developments on Capitol Hill this morning.

Good morning.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Daryn.

Last hour we spoke about the House resolution that will be passed later today, dealing with tsunami relief. We've just gotten a copy of the Senate resolution that will be dealt with in about an hour and a half or so. It specifically expresses the Senate's support for the president's pledge of $350 million in relief aid. But it also goes on to add that the Senate, quote, "will continue to assess, anticipate and provide further assistance as needed in the weeks and months ahead."

Now both of these resolutions are expected to pass easily, but not before a bit of a skirmish, a partisan skirmish, over how quickly the president reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi praised bringing in two former presidents to boost tsunami relief, she charged President Bush initially failed to grasp the gravity of the disaster. Asked if record budget deficits may complicate efforts to help tsunami survivors, Pelosi attacked.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The reason that we have a huge deficit is because of the tax cuts. But this is an emergency. This is something that we must act upon. And thank heavens the administration finally saw the light.

HENRY: Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the administration upped the ante as the situation in Asia grew worse.

Republicans leaders on the Hill say they may boost the $350 million package, but they won't write a blank check.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: It may well be that the disaster increases in magnitude over time. If it does, the 350 may, indeed, be a floor. But one of the things that we need to do as responsible legislators is respond to what the actual assessment is.

HENRY: Republican leaders want to be responsive to the tragedy, but also know they have a tight budget. Congress has to pass an $80 billion emergency bill to fund the war in Iraq and reforming Social Security could spark a $2 trillion shortfall. As a result, the president is considering cuts to the Pentagon, as well as domestic programs.

But Pelosi said Congress should spare no expense on tsunami relief, using the controversy over the war in Iraq to make her point.

PELOSI: When you think of the billions and billions, on order of a trillion dollars that is being spent in Iraq, on order of a trillion dollars, and we're talking about several hundred million for humanitarian assistance, I think it's not a small but a necessary price to pay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: A spokesman for House speaker Dennis Hastert said it was unfortunate that Nancy Pelosi decided to politicize this tsunami debate, at least a little bit. But Hastert's office did acknowledge that there will be some tough budget choices ahead in order to pay the tsunami relief, and also a lot of other issues, including Iraq war funding later in this Congress -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, let's talk about another one of those tough budget issues coming up, and you mentioned it for just a second in your piece there, and that is Social Security. Buckle your seatbelts, this one's going to be a rough ride between the White House and Congress.

HENRY: That's right. Absolutely, because there are no easy choices, and the White House knows that. The president has long known that Social Security is known as the third rail of politics -- touch it, and you die politically. But the president has been making the case, that he raised this issue in the last campaign, and he still beat John Kerry. But there are Republicans nervous because they think if they have to raise taxes or cut benefits, any of those options in order to pay for the shortfall in Social Security, it will be House and Senate Republicans who will face the voters in 2006 and maybe face their wrath, whereas the president does not have to face the voters again -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Ed, thank you.

SANCHEZ: And there's this story coming into us as we speak. There's a report that FBI officials are announcing, as we speak, in fact that they have filed federal charges against a New Jersey man who's accused of pointing a laser beam at a helicopter. This is a story that has been in the news for the last couple weeks. His name is David Benock (ph). He's 38, of Parcipini, New Jersey (ph). He surrendered Tuesday morning on charges of interfering with the operation of an aircraft, with disregard for the safety of human life, as well as falsifying information to the FBI.

But interestingly enough, this arrest comes at the same time of this FBI report that was issued just earlier today, that says that there's not evidence that any of the lasers have that have been reported have been directly tied to any terrorists. In fact, officials, including Asa Hutchinson, go on to say that it would take a great deal of skill to try and aim a laser directly in a pilots' eyes from a great distance.

Once again, this report, an FBI report, just concluded on these laser incidents we have been telling you about.

CNN Security Watch keeps you up to date on stories like this, affecting your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security as it comes in.

Well, more than 20,000 inquiries have come into the State Department since this disaster, this the tsunami disaster, and the exact number of missing Americans are still unknown.

State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel is joining us from Washington to try and bring us up to date on this ongoing story as well.

Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick.

So here we are more than a week since the tsunami hit, and State Department officials claim that they have no idea how many Americans may still be missing. And the reason they say is they say because U.S. immigration policy doesn't require Americans to say where they're going when they travel overseas, and so here we are on day nine.

State Department officials say the only way that they have a sense as to how many Americans are still unaccounted for is based on the phone calls they've received from worried family and friends.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KOPPEL (voice-over): Americans Angie Foust and her boyfriend Luke Sculley of Portland, Oregon had planned to spend their three-week Christmas vacation on the beaches of Thailand's resort island of Phuket. Friend's say the couple's last credit card transaction was made in Phuket on Christmas Eve, but that there's been no word from them since.

TINA MAHAFFEY, FRIEND OF MISSING COUPLE: You just have it in your head that you're going to get the call the next day. As the second day went on, we became more and more anxious.

KOPPEL: More than a week after a devastating tsunami hit Thailand and 11 other countries, the State Department says 15 Americans are confirmed dead. Secretary of State Powell, who arrived in Thailand Monday, said between 4,000 to 5,000 U.s. citizens are still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's frightening. If you do find out anything, please let us know.

KOPPEL: Here at the State Department, officials are working the phones around the clock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's just great to hear that everything's OK with his wife, Ronnie and Clint.

KOPPEL: Talking to family and friends of those believed missing, trying to whittle down the list of inquiries into unaccounted for Americans, that only days ago stood at 20,000.

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: We have been able to satisfactorily respond to three-quarters of the inquiries, or about 15,000. That leaves us with in the neighborhood of 5,000 inquiries that we have not been able to nail down.

KOPPEL: Officials expect that number to drop drastically. And in order to speed up the process are appealing to the public for help.

MAURA HARTY, ASST. SECY. OF STATE: If anybody who's watching this broadcast has in fact called us already and has now heard from their loved one, that they please call us again to let us know.

KOPPEL: That department is 1-888-407-4747.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, at the same time, the State Department is working with other governments, for instance, in Thailand, to sort through immigration papers, to double check and see if any Americans who are still unaccounted for may have left, in this case, Thailand, without making any kind of announcement to their family or friends -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much. Good report. Andrea Koppel bringing us that from the State Department -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, hundreds of people were killed in Sri Lanka when the tsunami knocked a train off its tracks. One woman wasn't on the train. She didn't know anyone on board, but still her life was changed forever. CNN'S Anderson Cooper has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this land awash in water, no one has time for Essam Arawati (ph)'s tears. The sea stole her son and also her mother. A runaway train destroyed her home.

"Everything is gone," she says, "My child, my mother, all my belongings wiped out." Essam and her husband Dona Polla (ph) live on a coast beside a railroad track. The tsunami ripped a passing train off its tracks, tossing this car within feet of their house. A few passengers managed to jump off the train onto their roof. Some lived. Some died when the roof finally gave way.

(on camera): And when you came back, there were three bodies here and one body over there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the bedroom, yes.

COOPER (voice-over): More than a week after the disaster, the scene is still sickening. At least 900 people were killed on the spot, trapped in this gnarled mass of steel and mud, rotting flesh and broken bones.

(on camera): As you move through the trains in each car, the smell of decay and of death is still present. It's been a week since the water has knocked this train off. And most of the bodies, they say, have been cleared away, but you can still smell someone died in here.

You don't have to use your imagination to figure out what people were doing the second the water hit. Here's a plate of food someone was eating, surrounded by flies. This woman's purse. Another one down here. Over here is a baby's diaper. That looks like a child's purse.

(voice-over): Cadaver dogs eagerly search the wreckage brought in by Dutch volunteers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every way we are searching. We found all those bodies.

COOPER: Bloated and bruised, the bodies are pulled out of the wreckage and quickly buried. The work is grim, the heat oppressive. Surrounded by death, there's little to say. Essam and her husband take some pride in knowing their roof saved passengers' lives, but the loss of their son is too much to bear. They hope to pick up the pieces of their lives, but for now, they're not sure where to begin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Anderson and many of our top journalists are on the front lines of this still developing story. They'll be reporting from the region all week. You can see the reports in CNN'S live primetime special report, "TURNING THE TIDE," every night this week beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

SANCHEZ: In the aftermath of the tsunami in South Asia, there have been too few signs of hope in many cases.

KAGAN: But these school children in Thailand are something that you will want to see. Their story is coming up.

SANCHEZ: Also, new allegations against the maker of one of the nation's most popular antidepressants. The latest on the purported problems with Prozac in particular when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back in our daily dose of health news. Newly surfaced documents are raising questions for the maker of the antidepressant Prozac. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is good enough to join us now to give us some perspective on this.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Rick, CNN broke this story last night. And we just got off the phone with Eli Lilly and they confirm that these documents we're about to discuss are indeed theirs. The documents obtained by CNN were obtained by CNN from a congressional source and they appear to show that Lilly, the maker of Prozac, knew more than a decade ago that there were more reports of suicides when patients took Prozac than when patients took four other antidepressants.

Now let's talk about the specific numbers for a minute. The documents show that there were at least 12 times more suicide attempts reported when patients took Prozac compared to patients who were taking any of four other antidepressants and at least twice as many reports of psychotic depression when patients took Prozac. The data that was cited by the documents looked at 14,198 reports to the Food and Drug Administration and showed 3.7 percent of the reports were for attempted suicide and 2.3 percent were for psychotic depression.

Now, it's important to point out that the data is based on reports of adverse side effects made to the FDA, incidents where things went wrong. An Eli Lilly doctor had this response. He said, "We do not believe that these data, for a number of reasons, are terribly useful or informative in terms of suggesting anything about a casual link between the drug and the adverse events being reported." Eli Lilly also emphasized that these numbers were not part of a formal study, but reports sent in by doctors.

SANCHEZ: So when you take away all the numbers -- and I'm sure because this is such a popular drug -- there are people watching this right now who are taking Prozac. And they're wondering themselves what should I do? How concerned should I be? What do you say to them?

COHEN: Right. Well, it's very important to remember, Rick, that some people say Prozac has helped treat their depression and that they've had great success on the drug. And you should always consult your doctor before changing medicines or before stopping the use of any medicine.

SANCHEZ: So you don't -- there's also the possibility that people would overreact to something like this and we don't want that.

COHEN: Well, you definitely want to make sure you talk to your doctor before you -- you don't want to just go off a medicine. You want to talk to your doctor first.

SANCHEZ: Perfect. Elizabeth Cohen. Thanks so much for bringing us up to date on that.

And of course, to get your daily dose of health news online, all you got to do is log on to our Web site and you'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address, cnn.com/health.

KAGAN: A winter storm has been wailing in the West. It could headed your way next. We'll have your forecast in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Hey, it promises to be years before life is anything like normal in Thailand.

SANCHEZ: These children aren't letting that stop them from stepping forward. Their story after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We've looked this hour at the tsunami's youngest victims. Thousands of children across the region are homeless, injured or orphaned.

SANCHEZ: For the children of Thailand, parents and teachers seem to think normal routine is the best medicine.

Manzanee Moshire (ph) of Britain's ITV News reports now from Phuket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANZANEE MOSHIRE (ph), ITV REPORTER (voice-over): It's the end of assembly, and these school children's prayers are for the victims of the disaster. They've lost classmates, teachers, and some have been left orphaned. The school was so close to the sea, its entire ground floor was destroyed. A few weeks ago, there were more than 300 people. So far, only 100 have returned. Some are being kept at home by worried parents that fear another tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We lost the building, and we lost a teacher. Also we lost the student and their parents. There's the biggest problem they'll be facing now.

MOSHIRE: For those who survived and have come back, a chance to contribute to a new beginning for their school. They're helping to clear what was once their playground. In fact, the whole town has come together to repair the building almost wiped out by the tsunami.

In the meantime, the teaching goes on in tents used as classrooms with the help of donated books. It may just be one school in one town, but it signifies a small step towards normalcy for the people of Phuket.

Manzanee Moshire, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: That's amazing, to see the effect on the children, but it's good to see some of them pulling through like that.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

(WEATHER 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 January 4, 2005 - 11:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Helicopters from the USS Abraham Lincoln are ferrying supplies to tsunami victims in Indonesia again today. Around 1,000 Marines have arrived in Sri Lanka. They're bringing with them bulldozers, generators, tons of food, water and medicine as well. Sweden is loading its dead aboard military cargo planes in Thailand for the trip home; 52 Swedes are confirmed dead in the tsunami, but some 2,000 still haven't been heard from since the disaster.
Gunmen assassinated the governor of Baghdad province today in a roadside ambush. Elsewhere in the city, a suicide truck bomb killed eight Iraqi police commandos. Also in Iraq, four American soldiers and one Marine have been killed.

And the 109th Congress convenes next hour. One of the first orders of business will be a disaster assistance package for tsunami victims; a bill authorizing relief beyond the $350 million already allocated is allocated is awaiting lawmakers. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And now on a -- more on what incoming Congressmen plan to do for tsunami relief, congressional correspondent Ed Henry tracking the new developments on Capitol Hill this morning.

Good morning.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Daryn.

Last hour we spoke about the House resolution that will be passed later today, dealing with tsunami relief. We've just gotten a copy of the Senate resolution that will be dealt with in about an hour and a half or so. It specifically expresses the Senate's support for the president's pledge of $350 million in relief aid. But it also goes on to add that the Senate, quote, "will continue to assess, anticipate and provide further assistance as needed in the weeks and months ahead."

Now both of these resolutions are expected to pass easily, but not before a bit of a skirmish, a partisan skirmish, over how quickly the president reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi praised bringing in two former presidents to boost tsunami relief, she charged President Bush initially failed to grasp the gravity of the disaster. Asked if record budget deficits may complicate efforts to help tsunami survivors, Pelosi attacked.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: The reason that we have a huge deficit is because of the tax cuts. But this is an emergency. This is something that we must act upon. And thank heavens the administration finally saw the light.

HENRY: Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the administration upped the ante as the situation in Asia grew worse.

Republicans leaders on the Hill say they may boost the $350 million package, but they won't write a blank check.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: It may well be that the disaster increases in magnitude over time. If it does, the 350 may, indeed, be a floor. But one of the things that we need to do as responsible legislators is respond to what the actual assessment is.

HENRY: Republican leaders want to be responsive to the tragedy, but also know they have a tight budget. Congress has to pass an $80 billion emergency bill to fund the war in Iraq and reforming Social Security could spark a $2 trillion shortfall. As a result, the president is considering cuts to the Pentagon, as well as domestic programs.

But Pelosi said Congress should spare no expense on tsunami relief, using the controversy over the war in Iraq to make her point.

PELOSI: When you think of the billions and billions, on order of a trillion dollars that is being spent in Iraq, on order of a trillion dollars, and we're talking about several hundred million for humanitarian assistance, I think it's not a small but a necessary price to pay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: A spokesman for House speaker Dennis Hastert said it was unfortunate that Nancy Pelosi decided to politicize this tsunami debate, at least a little bit. But Hastert's office did acknowledge that there will be some tough budget choices ahead in order to pay the tsunami relief, and also a lot of other issues, including Iraq war funding later in this Congress -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, let's talk about another one of those tough budget issues coming up, and you mentioned it for just a second in your piece there, and that is Social Security. Buckle your seatbelts, this one's going to be a rough ride between the White House and Congress.

HENRY: That's right. Absolutely, because there are no easy choices, and the White House knows that. The president has long known that Social Security is known as the third rail of politics -- touch it, and you die politically. But the president has been making the case, that he raised this issue in the last campaign, and he still beat John Kerry. But there are Republicans nervous because they think if they have to raise taxes or cut benefits, any of those options in order to pay for the shortfall in Social Security, it will be House and Senate Republicans who will face the voters in 2006 and maybe face their wrath, whereas the president does not have to face the voters again -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. Ed, thank you.

SANCHEZ: And there's this story coming into us as we speak. There's a report that FBI officials are announcing, as we speak, in fact that they have filed federal charges against a New Jersey man who's accused of pointing a laser beam at a helicopter. This is a story that has been in the news for the last couple weeks. His name is David Benock (ph). He's 38, of Parcipini, New Jersey (ph). He surrendered Tuesday morning on charges of interfering with the operation of an aircraft, with disregard for the safety of human life, as well as falsifying information to the FBI.

But interestingly enough, this arrest comes at the same time of this FBI report that was issued just earlier today, that says that there's not evidence that any of the lasers have that have been reported have been directly tied to any terrorists. In fact, officials, including Asa Hutchinson, go on to say that it would take a great deal of skill to try and aim a laser directly in a pilots' eyes from a great distance.

Once again, this report, an FBI report, just concluded on these laser incidents we have been telling you about.

CNN Security Watch keeps you up to date on stories like this, affecting your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security as it comes in.

Well, more than 20,000 inquiries have come into the State Department since this disaster, this the tsunami disaster, and the exact number of missing Americans are still unknown.

State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel is joining us from Washington to try and bring us up to date on this ongoing story as well.

Good morning, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick.

So here we are more than a week since the tsunami hit, and State Department officials claim that they have no idea how many Americans may still be missing. And the reason they say is they say because U.S. immigration policy doesn't require Americans to say where they're going when they travel overseas, and so here we are on day nine.

State Department officials say the only way that they have a sense as to how many Americans are still unaccounted for is based on the phone calls they've received from worried family and friends.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KOPPEL (voice-over): Americans Angie Foust and her boyfriend Luke Sculley of Portland, Oregon had planned to spend their three-week Christmas vacation on the beaches of Thailand's resort island of Phuket. Friend's say the couple's last credit card transaction was made in Phuket on Christmas Eve, but that there's been no word from them since.

TINA MAHAFFEY, FRIEND OF MISSING COUPLE: You just have it in your head that you're going to get the call the next day. As the second day went on, we became more and more anxious.

KOPPEL: More than a week after a devastating tsunami hit Thailand and 11 other countries, the State Department says 15 Americans are confirmed dead. Secretary of State Powell, who arrived in Thailand Monday, said between 4,000 to 5,000 U.s. citizens are still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's frightening. If you do find out anything, please let us know.

KOPPEL: Here at the State Department, officials are working the phones around the clock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's just great to hear that everything's OK with his wife, Ronnie and Clint.

KOPPEL: Talking to family and friends of those believed missing, trying to whittle down the list of inquiries into unaccounted for Americans, that only days ago stood at 20,000.

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: We have been able to satisfactorily respond to three-quarters of the inquiries, or about 15,000. That leaves us with in the neighborhood of 5,000 inquiries that we have not been able to nail down.

KOPPEL: Officials expect that number to drop drastically. And in order to speed up the process are appealing to the public for help.

MAURA HARTY, ASST. SECY. OF STATE: If anybody who's watching this broadcast has in fact called us already and has now heard from their loved one, that they please call us again to let us know.

KOPPEL: That department is 1-888-407-4747.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now, at the same time, the State Department is working with other governments, for instance, in Thailand, to sort through immigration papers, to double check and see if any Americans who are still unaccounted for may have left, in this case, Thailand, without making any kind of announcement to their family or friends -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much. Good report. Andrea Koppel bringing us that from the State Department -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, hundreds of people were killed in Sri Lanka when the tsunami knocked a train off its tracks. One woman wasn't on the train. She didn't know anyone on board, but still her life was changed forever. CNN'S Anderson Cooper has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this land awash in water, no one has time for Essam Arawati (ph)'s tears. The sea stole her son and also her mother. A runaway train destroyed her home.

"Everything is gone," she says, "My child, my mother, all my belongings wiped out." Essam and her husband Dona Polla (ph) live on a coast beside a railroad track. The tsunami ripped a passing train off its tracks, tossing this car within feet of their house. A few passengers managed to jump off the train onto their roof. Some lived. Some died when the roof finally gave way.

(on camera): And when you came back, there were three bodies here and one body over there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the bedroom, yes.

COOPER (voice-over): More than a week after the disaster, the scene is still sickening. At least 900 people were killed on the spot, trapped in this gnarled mass of steel and mud, rotting flesh and broken bones.

(on camera): As you move through the trains in each car, the smell of decay and of death is still present. It's been a week since the water has knocked this train off. And most of the bodies, they say, have been cleared away, but you can still smell someone died in here.

You don't have to use your imagination to figure out what people were doing the second the water hit. Here's a plate of food someone was eating, surrounded by flies. This woman's purse. Another one down here. Over here is a baby's diaper. That looks like a child's purse.

(voice-over): Cadaver dogs eagerly search the wreckage brought in by Dutch volunteers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every way we are searching. We found all those bodies.

COOPER: Bloated and bruised, the bodies are pulled out of the wreckage and quickly buried. The work is grim, the heat oppressive. Surrounded by death, there's little to say. Essam and her husband take some pride in knowing their roof saved passengers' lives, but the loss of their son is too much to bear. They hope to pick up the pieces of their lives, but for now, they're not sure where to begin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Anderson and many of our top journalists are on the front lines of this still developing story. They'll be reporting from the region all week. You can see the reports in CNN'S live primetime special report, "TURNING THE TIDE," every night this week beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

SANCHEZ: In the aftermath of the tsunami in South Asia, there have been too few signs of hope in many cases.

KAGAN: But these school children in Thailand are something that you will want to see. Their story is coming up.

SANCHEZ: Also, new allegations against the maker of one of the nation's most popular antidepressants. The latest on the purported problems with Prozac in particular when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back in our daily dose of health news. Newly surfaced documents are raising questions for the maker of the antidepressant Prozac. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is good enough to join us now to give us some perspective on this.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Rick, CNN broke this story last night. And we just got off the phone with Eli Lilly and they confirm that these documents we're about to discuss are indeed theirs. The documents obtained by CNN were obtained by CNN from a congressional source and they appear to show that Lilly, the maker of Prozac, knew more than a decade ago that there were more reports of suicides when patients took Prozac than when patients took four other antidepressants.

Now let's talk about the specific numbers for a minute. The documents show that there were at least 12 times more suicide attempts reported when patients took Prozac compared to patients who were taking any of four other antidepressants and at least twice as many reports of psychotic depression when patients took Prozac. The data that was cited by the documents looked at 14,198 reports to the Food and Drug Administration and showed 3.7 percent of the reports were for attempted suicide and 2.3 percent were for psychotic depression.

Now, it's important to point out that the data is based on reports of adverse side effects made to the FDA, incidents where things went wrong. An Eli Lilly doctor had this response. He said, "We do not believe that these data, for a number of reasons, are terribly useful or informative in terms of suggesting anything about a casual link between the drug and the adverse events being reported." Eli Lilly also emphasized that these numbers were not part of a formal study, but reports sent in by doctors.

SANCHEZ: So when you take away all the numbers -- and I'm sure because this is such a popular drug -- there are people watching this right now who are taking Prozac. And they're wondering themselves what should I do? How concerned should I be? What do you say to them?

COHEN: Right. Well, it's very important to remember, Rick, that some people say Prozac has helped treat their depression and that they've had great success on the drug. And you should always consult your doctor before changing medicines or before stopping the use of any medicine.

SANCHEZ: So you don't -- there's also the possibility that people would overreact to something like this and we don't want that.

COHEN: Well, you definitely want to make sure you talk to your doctor before you -- you don't want to just go off a medicine. You want to talk to your doctor first.

SANCHEZ: Perfect. Elizabeth Cohen. Thanks so much for bringing us up to date on that.

And of course, to get your daily dose of health news online, all you got to do is log on to our Web site and you'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address, cnn.com/health.

KAGAN: A winter storm has been wailing in the West. It could headed your way next. We'll have your forecast in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Hey, it promises to be years before life is anything like normal in Thailand.

SANCHEZ: These children aren't letting that stop them from stepping forward. Their story after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We've looked this hour at the tsunami's youngest victims. Thousands of children across the region are homeless, injured or orphaned.

SANCHEZ: For the children of Thailand, parents and teachers seem to think normal routine is the best medicine.

Manzanee Moshire (ph) of Britain's ITV News reports now from Phuket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANZANEE MOSHIRE (ph), ITV REPORTER (voice-over): It's the end of assembly, and these school children's prayers are for the victims of the disaster. They've lost classmates, teachers, and some have been left orphaned. The school was so close to the sea, its entire ground floor was destroyed. A few weeks ago, there were more than 300 people. So far, only 100 have returned. Some are being kept at home by worried parents that fear another tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We lost the building, and we lost a teacher. Also we lost the student and their parents. There's the biggest problem they'll be facing now.

MOSHIRE: For those who survived and have come back, a chance to contribute to a new beginning for their school. They're helping to clear what was once their playground. In fact, the whole town has come together to repair the building almost wiped out by the tsunami.

In the meantime, the teaching goes on in tents used as classrooms with the help of donated books. It may just be one school in one town, but it signifies a small step towards normalcy for the people of Phuket.

Manzanee Moshire, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: That's amazing, to see the effect on the children, but it's good to see some of them pulling through like that.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

(WEATHER 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