Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Colin Powell Visits Tsunami Sites; Measures Taken to Protect Tsunami Orphans

Aired January 05, 2005 - 05:00   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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, nature's incredible force and fury up close for that U.S. delegation.

Plus, emergency life sustaining supplies are pouring into the region, but getting the aid to the needy is proving difficult. And a journey of hope for a man returning to his homeland for the first time in 20 years.

It is Wednesday, January 5.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest details involving South Asia's devastating natural disaster. The view from above -- less than three hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew over Indonesia's hardest hit areas. This is what they saw. Powell tells reporters he now has a better appreciation of the daunting challenges facing the region.

They are now the lifeline for so many -- helicopters delivering emergency supplies -- water, food, medicine, shelter. The U.S. now says it will double its chopper fleet in the region, to more than 90.

The Doctors Without Borders USA group has raised $20 million for the relief effort. It says that is sufficient for the current emergency and it is encouraging donors to give up -- I'm sorry, it is encouraging donors to give to the group's general fund. They have enough money to deal with the situation in Asia right now.

The young victims of the catastrophe are facing exploitation. So Indonesian authorities are not letting people leave the country with children under the age of 16. The concern is that gang members posing as aid workers or parents are trafficking in orphans for adoption or as sex slaves.

For more on these stories, check our Web site, cnn.com/quake.

To the forecast center now to check in with Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: I'll have more in 15 minutes.

COSTELLO: And in the next hour, Rob Marciano is in Chicago.

MYERS: He is.

COSTELLO: And we'll get to him, too.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

CNN, well, we just got some of the most heart gripping pictures yet of what we've been seeing out of Indonesia. Here it is. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew into Banda Aceh about four hours ago. They're boarding the helicopter here, obviously. They wanted to take a closer look at the perhaps most devastated area by air.

John King has the video to show you. He is traveling with them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For military helicopters, a bird's eye view of the devastation. The general turned diplomat stunned by what he had just seen.

POWELL: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

KING: On the aerial survey, Secretary Powell and the delegation saw water and mud where 10 days ago stood roads and homes, villages. Crumbled foundations, many of the families washed away with the homes.

On the ground, an update of the humanitarian crisis here and a promise the United States military would do more to help.

POWELL: We will be increasing the number of helicopters that will be available to support T and I and Indonesian authorities. And we will respond to requests we get from the Indonesian authorities.

KING: This visit is a show of U.S. goodwill and a commitment to Indonesia and other countries hardest hit by the tsunami. But as he travels, an increasingly frustrated Powell is urging his own department to move quickly to get a more accurate count of just how many Americans were killed and how many are truly still missing.

POWELL: We expect that there will be some additional American casualties. It's up to 16 now. But I'm not of the view that the numbers will be anything like what some of our fellow nations have suffered over the last week.

KING (on camera): Secretary Powell and his delegation were on the ground here less than two hours, rushing in and out so that their visit would not complicate or delay the urgent relief effort. In fact, while the delegation took its helicopter tour and met with relief workers here on the ground, Secretary Powell's plane circled the island overhead, so as not to clog this critical runway.

John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: The State Department has confirmed that 16 Americans have died in the tsunami disaster. As for the number of Americans missing, well, that's a much harder question to answer.

CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel helps us sort it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Karen Foust is glued to her computer in Howell, Michigan, reading e-mails from Thailand.

KAREN FOUST, STEPMOTHER OF MISSING WOMAN: There is always hope. I heard stories of miracles yesterday.

KOPPEL: Hoping against hope her stepdaughter Angie Foust and boyfriend Luke Scully are still alive. The couple was on vacation in Thailand when the tsunami struck.

FOUST: As time passes, it gets much more hard to hear, to even read the e-mails, because you're thinking the worst at every one.

KOPPEL: Like thousands of other Americans, Karen Foust called a State Department hotline when she heard the news to let them know Angie was missing. But more than a week after the tsunami, still no news about Angie and still uncertainty as to just how many Americans are actually missing.

POWELL: There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 Americans that we're trying to get track of. I don't know how many of them were in Thailand, how many were elsewhere. And I don't even know if they should be called missing.

KOPPEL: Adding to the confusion, State Department officials in wave contradict Powell, saying it's not 4,000 Americans unaccounted for, but rather some 4,000 inquiries from worried relatives. And still no firm estimate of missing Americans.

QUESTION: Can't you, you know...

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Right. QUESTION: ... bite the bullet and make some statement...

ERELI: I think...

QUESTION: ... about Americans probably missing.

ERELI: Yes. Yes. I think, frankly, Barry, that we'll soon be in a position to do that.

KOPPEL: But other countries like Sweden, which may have lost hundreds, are giving their citizens more concrete updates. Fifty-two Swedes are confirmed dead. Two thousand others are classified as missing.

JAN ELIASSON, SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: We have worked through the families, through the travel agencies. We have sent down hundreds of -- up to a hundred people to Thailand to go through the hospitals.

KOPPEL: The U.S. insists it, too, has deployed scores of U.S. diplomats in Sri Lanka and elsewhere to search for missing Americans.

(on camera): And on the defensive, the State Department says it will continue working with local immigration authorities, relief officials and with airlines until it can say with confidence just how many Americans are truly missing.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: If you haven't heard the status of the loved one in those tsunami affected regions, CNN would like to hear from you. We want to find out about your efforts to locate your missing friends or relatives and are still waiting to hear from them? You can call CNN at 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. After those hours, the line will connect to voice- mail.

Amidst all this heartbreak, a dark side to human nature. Indonesian authorities have taken steps to protect orphaned children. It's barring people from leaving the country with children under the age of 16. The move is to protect children from people posing as aid workers or parents who might use the children in the Southeast Asia sex trade.

Also, Swedish police have been sent to Thailand to investigate reports that this 12-year-old survivor, Kristian Walker, has been kidnapped from a hospital. His American grandfather is expressing mixed emotions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL WALKER, GRANDFATHER OF KRISTIAN WALKER: I don't know that he's been kidnapped. I should say I'm hoping he's been kidnapped as opposed to having been killed initially, because if he's been kidnapped, there's a possibility that he's alive. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN looks deeper into the effects of this disaster on the young. Our prime time special, "Saving The Children," airs Thursday night at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

We're going to take you deeper into the heart of the tsunami disaster this morning. Sri Lanka is one of the hardest hit by the tragedy.

Our Harris Whitbeck is the first reporter to reach a location on the island nation that's previously been cut off.

He joins us live now with a first look -- hello, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

We are in the Ampara District in southeastern Sri Lanka, where the devastation is absolutely incredible. For the first time, people have been able to return to their homes, to what was left of their homes, to have a look at what little was left.

Here, where we are, this is a very, very prosperous, what was once a very, very prosperous fishing community. Practically all the homes were just entirely leveled. You can see some of the survivors picking through the rubble of their homes, trying to figure out if there's anything possible that can be recovered from that.

People had not been allowed here over the last several days because of flooding in the area. So, again, there has been a lack of aid, a lack of attention given to this zone because of the logistical conditions.

Now, the authorities have started recovery efforts again. They're cleaning up and just in the last several hours they have found more bodies in this particular neighborhood. Ten bodies were found and those were immediately buried, this occurring nearly 10 days after the disaster.

The total number of dead in this particular zone is over 10,000. They said about 10,436. And about 159,000 people are displaced and are living in temporary refugee camps.

The Sri Lankan government has already announced that in the future it will not permit the construction of homes or buildings within 300 meters of the coastline. The idea there is to prevent another disaster of this magnitude from occurring -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck from a rural area of Sri Lanka this morning.

Thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the tsunami disaster through a child's eyes. A youngster shares his amazing story of survival.

Also, not all of those affected walk on two legs. We'll find out how the animals are coping.

And could there possibly be too much of a good thing in the wake of a disaster? Aid is pouring in, but it's also backing up.

Now, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning, January 5.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Just a few hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Banda Aceh, Indonesia to survey the damage. After flying over the destruction, Powell said he had a better understanding of Indonesia's needs and what they'll be facing in the weeks and months ahead.

One U.S. soldier was killed when insurgents attacked a military patrol in Talafar. Talafar is near Mosul in northern Iraq. Two other American soldiers were wounded in that attack.

In money news, the FCC is investigating the "F" bomb again. This time it's gotten complaints over profanity used by Motley Crue front man Vince Neil. Neil uttered the "F" word during a life edition of "The Tonight Show," and that happened on New Year's Eve.

In culture, "Us" weekly magazine will publish pictures of super model Petra Nemcova from her hospital bed in Thailand. Nemcova suffered a broken pelvis when she was swept away in the tsunami. Proceeds from the sale of the pictures will go to charity.

In sports, USC put an exclamation point on their perfect season with a 55-19 drubbing of Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. USC is the first team to have back to back national championships since Nebraska did that 10 years ago. But, oh, Nebraska is a much different place now -- Chad.

MYERS: Oh, yes. They tried to run the West Coast offense with a quarterback that can't throw. Hmmm. Problem.

Hey, what happened to Oklahoma? They didn't even show up last night.

COSTELLO: It was something.

MYERS: I watched the first quarter. It was ugly. Then I'm glad I went to bed. It was 55-19. Now if we could just get Auburn and USC to play, then we'd have something.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: But sorry, Auburn fans, that ain't going to happen.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Hey, Chad, help me with these pictures. We're just getting these pictures in to CNN. They're aerial views of Banda Aceh and they're...

MYERS: Yes, I haven't seen them yet but...

COSTELLO: Oh, they're -- I haven't either, so they're extremely compelling.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: But you can see the devastation left behind by the tsunami.

MYERS: Very, very close to the epicenter of the tsunami, of the earthquake itself. So as the wave developed, they had very little time. Even if there was a warning system, Banda Aceh probably would not have been able to be saved, because there just was not enough time between how close the earthquake was, where the center of the earthquake was, where the wave developed and how it moved so far inland.

Look at the destruction here. You know what, Carol? You get hit by a three foot wave. If you have your back to the wave, let's say you're standing on a beach in Orlando or Melbourne or wherever, you get hit by a little wave, you get knocked down. Could you imagine what a 15 or 20 or 30 foot wave would do? Obviously here are pictures of what it did.

It was -- the folks here just, many of them just had no chance whatsoever.

COSTELLO: And the wave was moving so very fast. And as the wave receded, the incredible pull also destroyed things along the way.

MYERS: Well, you know, we talk about wind and air pressure, but water pressure is so much more impressive. If you go down 15 feet of water, that is equal to the entire weight of the atmosphere above that, all the way, for 100,000 feet of air is equal to only 15 feet of water. So divers know that. That is one atmosphere.

Another atmosphere at 30 feet of water. So the pressure on all of that was just phenomenal and you can see the wave here, I've actually seen this part of the picture before. The wave bounced off that mountain and then bounced back into the ocean, because obviously the plain here is so very small. And I can't tell whether that, the wave knocked those trees down or not, but you can clearly see where that wave stopped, right there at that mud plain where the trees are still there. It was just (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: You know, I almost wish we had -- I do wish we had before pictures to show you so that you could appreciate the level of the devastation here. But just to give you some facts and figures, Indonesia's death toll, it actually jumped today. The health ministry came out and said 94,081 people died in Indonesia alone; 3,598 people are still missing. Sop that's just...

MYERS: And probably many, many more than that. There are entire families that no one has given the government information that people are missing because they're all missing, you know?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: The numbers are going to be staggering. You were saying that you wish you had before pictures. I think the after picture, where all you see is the slab, the foundation, is something we see in Oklahoma or Texas with an F5 tornado. This F5 tornado was hundreds of miles long and miles and miles wide. The, you know, the devastation, to knock an entire house off of a concrete slab foundation, that force is equal to an F5 tornado.

COSTELLO: Well, when we get more pictures in, of course, we'll pass them along to all of you.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: The devastation of the tsunamis is pulling at the world's heart strings and at the purse strings of some famous people.

Coming up next, we'll tell you about all the star studded support ahead.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: From Hollywood to the sports world, celebrities are pitching in to help victims of the tsunami disaster. German race car driver Michael Schumacher -- Chad, did you hear about this?

MYERS: I just did, Carol, $10 million. The man made $70 million last year racing cars. But he is by far, other than maybe Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart and a couple of others, the greatest race car driver that ever lived. And now he'll be one of the blast philanthropists of this. And really a lot of folks now, there are huge F1 fans across the world, not so much in America, but they are also now onto his Web site, also donating. So that $10 million may very well turn into $30 million or $40 million by the time this entire effort is over.

COSTELLO: Oh, good for him.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: His quote is: "One cannot simply blind it out." So thanks to the generosity of Michael Schumacher.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a personal link to one of the hard hit areas, as well. He filmed the movie "The Beach" on Thailand's Phi Phi Island. Remember that? MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. He's donated an undisclosed amount to UNICEF and he, as I said, set up a link on his Web site for others to give.

And remember "We Are The World?" We are the world...

MYERS: I do. I actually -- I had the sweatshirt, "USA for Africa."

COSTELLO: Do you really?

MYERS: I had it, yes. No, I mean I don't now. It was 1980...

COSTELLO: You should auction it off on eBay and then donate the money. That would be cool, Chad.

MYERS: It would.

COSTELLO: Some Asian celebrities, anyway, are reviving the 1985 charity song for tsunami relief. The latest rendition is called "Love" and it has new Chinese lyrics, so that's really nice.

Also, would you like to sit in the dugout with Barry Bonds?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

MYERS: No thanks.

COSTELLO: It would be interesting. He would be nice, because he'd have to be. Anyway, we're in a charitable mood on DAYBREAK this morning. So let's be charitable.

MYERS: Yes, I know, he's auctioning this off.

Right, right, right.

COSTELLO: OK.

The San Francisco Giants are auctioning off a personal meeting with the slugger before a game. You can sit in the dugout and then they'll donate that money to tsunami relief. So that's nice.

MYERS: That is awesome.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: And other things are going on, too.

COSTELLO: And Kobe...

MYERS: Yes, the basketball guys are into it.

COSTELLO: Yes. Kobe Bryant and six other NBA stars are making their points count, as well. They promise to donate $1,000 for every point they score in an upcoming game.

MYERS: You look at the devastation that we showed just a few minutes ago, Carol, and you just, you wonder where the money is going to go. What can it do? Can it rebuild homes? Can it give food? Can it give water? You know, they just need so much. They need everything. It's like getting your entire life wiped out, and half of your family, as well. I mean what do you give -- what does money do? You know, that's the -- you can't, it's hard to put your finger on it. They need everything. They need everything from food right now to some kind of shelter as soon as it starts raining there.

COSTELLO: And especially medicine. They really need medicine.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And they need fresh water right now. And, of course, we want to remind everyone that you don't have to be a millionaire to donate to tsunami relief. To find out how you can lend a hand, just go to cnn.com/quake. Click on how to help. We have links to aid groups from around the world, so you can pick and choose.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Lost Americans, thousands may still be missing. For some families, their worst fears are confirmed. Up next, a look at those who never made it home.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "I'm alone," says Shian (ph), "except for my father."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Fond memories of home are replaced by haunting images of death. Up next, how a small Sri Lankan boy survived. His remarkable story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest tsunami related developments.

Miles and miles of devastation -- these are new pictures into CNN within the past hour or so. And you can see tsunami ravaged Indonesia by air. Just hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell toured the hard hit Banda Aceh Province by air.

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 5, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, nature's incredible force and fury up close for that U.S. delegation.

Plus, emergency life sustaining supplies are pouring into the region, but getting the aid to the needy is proving difficult. And a journey of hope for a man returning to his homeland for the first time in 20 years.

It is Wednesday, January 5.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest details involving South Asia's devastating natural disaster. The view from above -- less than three hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew over Indonesia's hardest hit areas. This is what they saw. Powell tells reporters he now has a better appreciation of the daunting challenges facing the region.

They are now the lifeline for so many -- helicopters delivering emergency supplies -- water, food, medicine, shelter. The U.S. now says it will double its chopper fleet in the region, to more than 90.

The Doctors Without Borders USA group has raised $20 million for the relief effort. It says that is sufficient for the current emergency and it is encouraging donors to give up -- I'm sorry, it is encouraging donors to give to the group's general fund. They have enough money to deal with the situation in Asia right now.

The young victims of the catastrophe are facing exploitation. So Indonesian authorities are not letting people leave the country with children under the age of 16. The concern is that gang members posing as aid workers or parents are trafficking in orphans for adoption or as sex slaves.

For more on these stories, check our Web site, cnn.com/quake.

To the forecast center now to check in with Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: I'll have more in 15 minutes.

COSTELLO: And in the next hour, Rob Marciano is in Chicago.

MYERS: He is.

COSTELLO: And we'll get to him, too.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

CNN, well, we just got some of the most heart gripping pictures yet of what we've been seeing out of Indonesia. Here it is. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew into Banda Aceh about four hours ago. They're boarding the helicopter here, obviously. They wanted to take a closer look at the perhaps most devastated area by air.

John King has the video to show you. He is traveling with them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For military helicopters, a bird's eye view of the devastation. The general turned diplomat stunned by what he had just seen.

POWELL: I've been in war and I've been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this.

KING: On the aerial survey, Secretary Powell and the delegation saw water and mud where 10 days ago stood roads and homes, villages. Crumbled foundations, many of the families washed away with the homes.

On the ground, an update of the humanitarian crisis here and a promise the United States military would do more to help.

POWELL: We will be increasing the number of helicopters that will be available to support T and I and Indonesian authorities. And we will respond to requests we get from the Indonesian authorities.

KING: This visit is a show of U.S. goodwill and a commitment to Indonesia and other countries hardest hit by the tsunami. But as he travels, an increasingly frustrated Powell is urging his own department to move quickly to get a more accurate count of just how many Americans were killed and how many are truly still missing.

POWELL: We expect that there will be some additional American casualties. It's up to 16 now. But I'm not of the view that the numbers will be anything like what some of our fellow nations have suffered over the last week.

KING (on camera): Secretary Powell and his delegation were on the ground here less than two hours, rushing in and out so that their visit would not complicate or delay the urgent relief effort. In fact, while the delegation took its helicopter tour and met with relief workers here on the ground, Secretary Powell's plane circled the island overhead, so as not to clog this critical runway.

John King, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: The State Department has confirmed that 16 Americans have died in the tsunami disaster. As for the number of Americans missing, well, that's a much harder question to answer.

CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel helps us sort it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Karen Foust is glued to her computer in Howell, Michigan, reading e-mails from Thailand.

KAREN FOUST, STEPMOTHER OF MISSING WOMAN: There is always hope. I heard stories of miracles yesterday.

KOPPEL: Hoping against hope her stepdaughter Angie Foust and boyfriend Luke Scully are still alive. The couple was on vacation in Thailand when the tsunami struck.

FOUST: As time passes, it gets much more hard to hear, to even read the e-mails, because you're thinking the worst at every one.

KOPPEL: Like thousands of other Americans, Karen Foust called a State Department hotline when she heard the news to let them know Angie was missing. But more than a week after the tsunami, still no news about Angie and still uncertainty as to just how many Americans are actually missing.

POWELL: There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 Americans that we're trying to get track of. I don't know how many of them were in Thailand, how many were elsewhere. And I don't even know if they should be called missing.

KOPPEL: Adding to the confusion, State Department officials in wave contradict Powell, saying it's not 4,000 Americans unaccounted for, but rather some 4,000 inquiries from worried relatives. And still no firm estimate of missing Americans.

QUESTION: Can't you, you know...

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Right. QUESTION: ... bite the bullet and make some statement...

ERELI: I think...

QUESTION: ... about Americans probably missing.

ERELI: Yes. Yes. I think, frankly, Barry, that we'll soon be in a position to do that.

KOPPEL: But other countries like Sweden, which may have lost hundreds, are giving their citizens more concrete updates. Fifty-two Swedes are confirmed dead. Two thousand others are classified as missing.

JAN ELIASSON, SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: We have worked through the families, through the travel agencies. We have sent down hundreds of -- up to a hundred people to Thailand to go through the hospitals.

KOPPEL: The U.S. insists it, too, has deployed scores of U.S. diplomats in Sri Lanka and elsewhere to search for missing Americans.

(on camera): And on the defensive, the State Department says it will continue working with local immigration authorities, relief officials and with airlines until it can say with confidence just how many Americans are truly missing.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, at the State Department.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: If you haven't heard the status of the loved one in those tsunami affected regions, CNN would like to hear from you. We want to find out about your efforts to locate your missing friends or relatives and are still waiting to hear from them? You can call CNN at 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. After those hours, the line will connect to voice- mail.

Amidst all this heartbreak, a dark side to human nature. Indonesian authorities have taken steps to protect orphaned children. It's barring people from leaving the country with children under the age of 16. The move is to protect children from people posing as aid workers or parents who might use the children in the Southeast Asia sex trade.

Also, Swedish police have been sent to Thailand to investigate reports that this 12-year-old survivor, Kristian Walker, has been kidnapped from a hospital. His American grandfather is expressing mixed emotions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL WALKER, GRANDFATHER OF KRISTIAN WALKER: I don't know that he's been kidnapped. I should say I'm hoping he's been kidnapped as opposed to having been killed initially, because if he's been kidnapped, there's a possibility that he's alive. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN looks deeper into the effects of this disaster on the young. Our prime time special, "Saving The Children," airs Thursday night at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

We're going to take you deeper into the heart of the tsunami disaster this morning. Sri Lanka is one of the hardest hit by the tragedy.

Our Harris Whitbeck is the first reporter to reach a location on the island nation that's previously been cut off.

He joins us live now with a first look -- hello, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

We are in the Ampara District in southeastern Sri Lanka, where the devastation is absolutely incredible. For the first time, people have been able to return to their homes, to what was left of their homes, to have a look at what little was left.

Here, where we are, this is a very, very prosperous, what was once a very, very prosperous fishing community. Practically all the homes were just entirely leveled. You can see some of the survivors picking through the rubble of their homes, trying to figure out if there's anything possible that can be recovered from that.

People had not been allowed here over the last several days because of flooding in the area. So, again, there has been a lack of aid, a lack of attention given to this zone because of the logistical conditions.

Now, the authorities have started recovery efforts again. They're cleaning up and just in the last several hours they have found more bodies in this particular neighborhood. Ten bodies were found and those were immediately buried, this occurring nearly 10 days after the disaster.

The total number of dead in this particular zone is over 10,000. They said about 10,436. And about 159,000 people are displaced and are living in temporary refugee camps.

The Sri Lankan government has already announced that in the future it will not permit the construction of homes or buildings within 300 meters of the coastline. The idea there is to prevent another disaster of this magnitude from occurring -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck from a rural area of Sri Lanka this morning.

Thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the tsunami disaster through a child's eyes. A youngster shares his amazing story of survival.

Also, not all of those affected walk on two legs. We'll find out how the animals are coping.

And could there possibly be too much of a good thing in the wake of a disaster? Aid is pouring in, but it's also backing up.

Now, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning, January 5.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Just a few hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Banda Aceh, Indonesia to survey the damage. After flying over the destruction, Powell said he had a better understanding of Indonesia's needs and what they'll be facing in the weeks and months ahead.

One U.S. soldier was killed when insurgents attacked a military patrol in Talafar. Talafar is near Mosul in northern Iraq. Two other American soldiers were wounded in that attack.

In money news, the FCC is investigating the "F" bomb again. This time it's gotten complaints over profanity used by Motley Crue front man Vince Neil. Neil uttered the "F" word during a life edition of "The Tonight Show," and that happened on New Year's Eve.

In culture, "Us" weekly magazine will publish pictures of super model Petra Nemcova from her hospital bed in Thailand. Nemcova suffered a broken pelvis when she was swept away in the tsunami. Proceeds from the sale of the pictures will go to charity.

In sports, USC put an exclamation point on their perfect season with a 55-19 drubbing of Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. USC is the first team to have back to back national championships since Nebraska did that 10 years ago. But, oh, Nebraska is a much different place now -- Chad.

MYERS: Oh, yes. They tried to run the West Coast offense with a quarterback that can't throw. Hmmm. Problem.

Hey, what happened to Oklahoma? They didn't even show up last night.

COSTELLO: It was something.

MYERS: I watched the first quarter. It was ugly. Then I'm glad I went to bed. It was 55-19. Now if we could just get Auburn and USC to play, then we'd have something.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: But sorry, Auburn fans, that ain't going to happen.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Hey, Chad, help me with these pictures. We're just getting these pictures in to CNN. They're aerial views of Banda Aceh and they're...

MYERS: Yes, I haven't seen them yet but...

COSTELLO: Oh, they're -- I haven't either, so they're extremely compelling.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: But you can see the devastation left behind by the tsunami.

MYERS: Very, very close to the epicenter of the tsunami, of the earthquake itself. So as the wave developed, they had very little time. Even if there was a warning system, Banda Aceh probably would not have been able to be saved, because there just was not enough time between how close the earthquake was, where the center of the earthquake was, where the wave developed and how it moved so far inland.

Look at the destruction here. You know what, Carol? You get hit by a three foot wave. If you have your back to the wave, let's say you're standing on a beach in Orlando or Melbourne or wherever, you get hit by a little wave, you get knocked down. Could you imagine what a 15 or 20 or 30 foot wave would do? Obviously here are pictures of what it did.

It was -- the folks here just, many of them just had no chance whatsoever.

COSTELLO: And the wave was moving so very fast. And as the wave receded, the incredible pull also destroyed things along the way.

MYERS: Well, you know, we talk about wind and air pressure, but water pressure is so much more impressive. If you go down 15 feet of water, that is equal to the entire weight of the atmosphere above that, all the way, for 100,000 feet of air is equal to only 15 feet of water. So divers know that. That is one atmosphere.

Another atmosphere at 30 feet of water. So the pressure on all of that was just phenomenal and you can see the wave here, I've actually seen this part of the picture before. The wave bounced off that mountain and then bounced back into the ocean, because obviously the plain here is so very small. And I can't tell whether that, the wave knocked those trees down or not, but you can clearly see where that wave stopped, right there at that mud plain where the trees are still there. It was just (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: You know, I almost wish we had -- I do wish we had before pictures to show you so that you could appreciate the level of the devastation here. But just to give you some facts and figures, Indonesia's death toll, it actually jumped today. The health ministry came out and said 94,081 people died in Indonesia alone; 3,598 people are still missing. Sop that's just...

MYERS: And probably many, many more than that. There are entire families that no one has given the government information that people are missing because they're all missing, you know?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: The numbers are going to be staggering. You were saying that you wish you had before pictures. I think the after picture, where all you see is the slab, the foundation, is something we see in Oklahoma or Texas with an F5 tornado. This F5 tornado was hundreds of miles long and miles and miles wide. The, you know, the devastation, to knock an entire house off of a concrete slab foundation, that force is equal to an F5 tornado.

COSTELLO: Well, when we get more pictures in, of course, we'll pass them along to all of you.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: The devastation of the tsunamis is pulling at the world's heart strings and at the purse strings of some famous people.

Coming up next, we'll tell you about all the star studded support ahead.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: From Hollywood to the sports world, celebrities are pitching in to help victims of the tsunami disaster. German race car driver Michael Schumacher -- Chad, did you hear about this?

MYERS: I just did, Carol, $10 million. The man made $70 million last year racing cars. But he is by far, other than maybe Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart and a couple of others, the greatest race car driver that ever lived. And now he'll be one of the blast philanthropists of this. And really a lot of folks now, there are huge F1 fans across the world, not so much in America, but they are also now onto his Web site, also donating. So that $10 million may very well turn into $30 million or $40 million by the time this entire effort is over.

COSTELLO: Oh, good for him.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: His quote is: "One cannot simply blind it out." So thanks to the generosity of Michael Schumacher.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a personal link to one of the hard hit areas, as well. He filmed the movie "The Beach" on Thailand's Phi Phi Island. Remember that? MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. He's donated an undisclosed amount to UNICEF and he, as I said, set up a link on his Web site for others to give.

And remember "We Are The World?" We are the world...

MYERS: I do. I actually -- I had the sweatshirt, "USA for Africa."

COSTELLO: Do you really?

MYERS: I had it, yes. No, I mean I don't now. It was 1980...

COSTELLO: You should auction it off on eBay and then donate the money. That would be cool, Chad.

MYERS: It would.

COSTELLO: Some Asian celebrities, anyway, are reviving the 1985 charity song for tsunami relief. The latest rendition is called "Love" and it has new Chinese lyrics, so that's really nice.

Also, would you like to sit in the dugout with Barry Bonds?

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

MYERS: No thanks.

COSTELLO: It would be interesting. He would be nice, because he'd have to be. Anyway, we're in a charitable mood on DAYBREAK this morning. So let's be charitable.

MYERS: Yes, I know, he's auctioning this off.

Right, right, right.

COSTELLO: OK.

The San Francisco Giants are auctioning off a personal meeting with the slugger before a game. You can sit in the dugout and then they'll donate that money to tsunami relief. So that's nice.

MYERS: That is awesome.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: And other things are going on, too.

COSTELLO: And Kobe...

MYERS: Yes, the basketball guys are into it.

COSTELLO: Yes. Kobe Bryant and six other NBA stars are making their points count, as well. They promise to donate $1,000 for every point they score in an upcoming game.

MYERS: You look at the devastation that we showed just a few minutes ago, Carol, and you just, you wonder where the money is going to go. What can it do? Can it rebuild homes? Can it give food? Can it give water? You know, they just need so much. They need everything. It's like getting your entire life wiped out, and half of your family, as well. I mean what do you give -- what does money do? You know, that's the -- you can't, it's hard to put your finger on it. They need everything. They need everything from food right now to some kind of shelter as soon as it starts raining there.

COSTELLO: And especially medicine. They really need medicine.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And they need fresh water right now. And, of course, we want to remind everyone that you don't have to be a millionaire to donate to tsunami relief. To find out how you can lend a hand, just go to cnn.com/quake. Click on how to help. We have links to aid groups from around the world, so you can pick and choose.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Lost Americans, thousands may still be missing. For some families, their worst fears are confirmed. Up next, a look at those who never made it home.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "I'm alone," says Shian (ph), "except for my father."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Fond memories of home are replaced by haunting images of death. Up next, how a small Sri Lankan boy survived. His remarkable story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, with Chad Myers.

Here are the latest tsunami related developments.

Miles and miles of devastation -- these are new pictures into CNN within the past hour or so. And you can see tsunami ravaged Indonesia by air. Just hours ago, Secretary of State Colin Powell toured the hard hit Banda Aceh Province by air.

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