Return to Transcripts main page
Breaking News
At Least 21 Killed, 69 Wounded in Bagdhad Bomb; Train on Fire South of Lousville in Brooks, Kentucky
Aired January 16, 2007 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.
For the next three hours, watch events as they come into THE NEWSROOM live on Tuesday, the 16th of January.
Here's what's on the rundown.
He had chances to run, but he stayed for four years. A psychologist helps us understand Shawn Hornbeck's kidnapping ordeal.
HARRIS: Life upside down or on the skids -- ice coats Texas hill country. Snow and cold reaching into New England.
COLLINS: Cuba's president -- a newspaper says Fidel Castro's health is failing. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be here in THE NEWSROOM.
Breaking news and we want to get straight to it this hour from Baghdad.
A series of bombings, including a massive car bomb near a university. Dozens of people dead or wounded.
Our Michael Holmes is standing by live now with details -- Michael, can you update our viewers on exactly what happened?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi.
It was a car bomb. It was outside the Mustansiriya University in northeastern Baghdad. It happened about 4:00 p.m. local time. That's only an hour ago. At this stage we know of 10 people killed and 45 wounded. But we are warned that that death toll is likely to go up because this was such a large bomb.
In fact, a source at the ministry, the Interior Ministry, confirmed that it was what he called a massive blast. And it happened as students and faculty members were leaving this university.
Interesting to point out that many members of this faculty have been murdered in recent months, a part of the ongoing sectarian strife and also a campaign to intimidate and kill intellectuals in this country.
The area is about six kilometers from here, almost directly behind me. And it rattled the windows here. It's also only a mile or so from Sadr City, and police are on the scene. And a CNN producer, who is also there, says that Mahdi militiamen are also on the scene, sealing off the area, keeping cars out and evacuating the dead and wounded.
Heidi, as you point out, that's not the only bomb that's gone off here today. There's been a series of incidents -- another 20 or so dead and another 80 or so wounded in several other bombings here in Baghdad this day -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Michael, I'm curious to know, as we have said and reported so many times here, that area has been very violent in the past.
But has the university itself ever before experienced violence on its campus?
HOLMES: Not to my memory as a building, as a structure. This building itself was built in the 1960s. It's interesting to note that the university as a whole dates back to 1211. It is an ancient university. This building itself, however, as I say, was built in the 1960s.
As I said, this area is very close to the heart of Sadr City, this Mahdi militia stronghold where the firebrand cleric, Muqtada al- Sadr, is holed up with his militiamen. And it's interesting that a mile or so away, he still has enough influence in that area to have his militiamen on the scene of this bombing.
This, of course, is a Shia group and Sunnis have been targeted by Shias, Shias targeted by Sunnis. It could well be that this is just part of the ongoing sectarian bloodletting in this country.
COLLINS: Our Michael Holmes reporting tonight to us live from Baghdad this morning.
Michael, thank you.
HARRIS: And how about this?
Wave after wave of snow, ice and freezing rain -- the big winter storm that battered the nation's heartland for days just won't stop. It is now targeting the South and East. Right now, ice is sweeping across central and southern Texas. An ice storm warning is in effect all the way down to Houston.
After dumping a thick layer of ice across the Plains and the Midwest, the storm also taking aim at the Great Lakes region and the Northeast. This scene as the storm moved into Burlington, Vermont.
The storm's toll is staggering. More than 40 deaths in six states. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power. Among them, 312,000 customers in Missouri and 100,000 in Oklahoma. The situation is so bad in Missouri, President Bush declares a state of major disaster. That means federal aid for Missouri.
COLLINS: We want to go ahead and get straight over to Chad Myers to explain more of the situation and what can we expect over the next few days or so in those areas -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Let's talk more about the ice storm coating trees and power lines, causing a slippery mess around Austin, Texas.
Amy Hadley with News 8 Austin, is at a truck stop in Williamson County. That's about 40 miles outside of Austin -- Amy, good morning to you.
Set the scene for us, if you would.
AMY HADLEY, NEWS 8 CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, it is definitely cold here, much more so than we're used to. And the ice is really the problem. We're at a truck stop right now, like you said, about 40 miles north of Austin. And when we headed up this way about 4:00 a.m. Central time, we really didn't have any problems until we hit about a 10 mile stretch up here that was pretty icy.
You can see there's some ice on the ground and some sleet fell. So it's slick, although this sleet has certainly helped, especially with all of the truckers on the road. But we've definitely seen some folks who have had a hard time of it this morning. At least four different trucks who were jackknifed.
So I believe that inside this truck stop here -- give us just this second. Bear with us while we get inside with all our cables. We've got a tow truck driver who actually has been very busy this morning keeping everybody safe on the roads.
So, Paul, come on up over here for just a second. You -- I'm stuck.
PAUL: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HADLEY: That's right. I'm caught, but it's OK.
So, what has your morning looked like?
PAUL: Pretty good. We've only, like you say, we've only done six -- between two wreckers, six trucks, jackknives, nothing serious, minor damage, although we've got one turned over right now and my other truck is on the way over there to see what it's all about, so we don't know yet.
HADLEY: Now, what has been your sense -- because when we headed up this morning, there wasn't a whole lot of ice. But I understand that it's moving in north and south, more and more ice is coming. PAUL: Yes, it's been sleeting pretty good and it's built up some on the road. That's the problem. In some places the road is real good. In some places it's froze over. So these guys can get a little overconfident and get to going too fast and then they hit the bad spot and there they are, you know?
So, you know, it's just...
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
HADLEY: And that's one of them now, right?
PAUL: Yes, probably so.
HADLEY: All right, we'll let you take that call.
PAUL: All right.
HADLEY: Thank you so much, Paul.
So, another problem in this area has been that we did have a lot of rain over the weekend, about five to six inches. And so the ground is still pretty saturated and the temperature outside is only about 30 degrees, which hasn't been enough to really freeze over that ground.
So when those trucks do jackknife, they don't feel confident to drive across the medians or the grass to straighten themselves out.
We also have Geena (ph) with us here, which, Geena, it seems like your unofficial job is to keep a pulse -- a finger on the pulse of the weather, because everybody who comes in here wants to know what it's looking like. And from what you hear, it's getting worse.
GEENA: Yes, from what I hear it's getting worse all the way down to San Antonio and probably past there from now, you know?
So we've had lots of people just go off from the road into the ditches and stuff. So just -- everybody needs to be really careful, so.
HADLEY: And a lot truckers camping out here for the night.
GEENA: Yes. Our back parking lot is full, actually. So...
HADLEY: Yes, well, and a lot of folks said once the sun comes up, we'll head out. But it sounds like maybe some of them have decided to stick it out here.
GEENA: Yes, because I don't see the sun coming up. We have a little crease over there that you can see some sun shine through, but I don't think it's going to do much after that. And like you say, it's just going to get worse during the day so...
HADLEY: Right. Slick roads definitely taking their toll on Texas drivers. They're not real familiar with driving on ice, of course, down here, so that makes it difficult when it does ice over like it has. In fact, we just found out that in South Austin, there was an accident. They had to stop traffic and the traffic that stopped ended up getting stuck.
So they had to close down I-35 in the south part of Austin. So...
HARRIS: Wow!
HADLEY: ... definitely taking its toll, this Texas weather, for us -- Tony.
HARRIS: This is unbelievable. We're talking Austin, we're talking Houston, San Antonio.
Amy, good stuff.
Great that you're talking to real people.
I have to ask you this, though, is it so bad, the conditions now, is the forecast for so much widespread ice in the area that people are being advised to just, you know, stay inside?
If you don't have to go, don't go.
HADLEY: Absolutely. Yesterday I talked to someone with the Office of Emergency management. And his suggestion was stay home with a good book. Don't go out if you absolutely -- unless you absolutely have to.
So that is the advice that we're hearing from pretty much everyone...
HARRIS: That's good.
HADLEY: ... is stay home.
HARRIS: Amy Hadley, good stuff.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
COLLINS: In Missouri now, the deepening mystery of the kidnapped boys. Detectives outside St. Louis have two assignments. First and foremost, building a case against the man suspected of snatching them off the streets, then, filling in the blanks.
How did one boy spend more than four years in captivity?
There may be clues on the Internet.
CNN's Chris Lawrence explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Devlin's attorneys are worried that people in Missouri have already made up their minds about Devlin before he's even been charged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")
MICHAEL KIELTY, MICHAEL DEVLIN'S ATTORNEY: He's scared. But we are anticipating a long week of battle to protect his rights and preserve the integrity of the system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Local prosecutors will have to prove how Devlin could do what he's been accused of -- kidnapping Ben Ownby and holding Shawn Hornbeck for four years an hour's drive from his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")
KIELTY: The U.S. attorney could get jurisdiction either under a federal kidnapping charge or possibly a child pornography charge, if they do, in fact, have that evidence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Investigators searched Devlin's apartment and took his computer, but won't say specifically what they found.
During the years Shawn Hornbeck allegedly lived with Devlin, there was a Yahoo! profile for a teenaged boy named Shawn from Kirkwood, Missouri. But the e-mail address read "mdevlin."
And about a year ago, when Shawn was still missing, someone calling himself Shawn Devlin posted messages on the family's Web site. The first asked Shawn's family: "How long do you plan to look for your son?"
The second offered to write a poem in his honor.
Who wrote these? Shawn Hornbeck? Michael Devlin? Neither?
Investigators can figure out which screen name signed on and use other clues to piece it together.
DET. KEN NIX, COMPUTER CRIME ENFORCEMENT: We try and give a good indication by the time, the time stamps that are on it -- who was in the house at the time?
The type of verbiage that's used -- you know, was it a kid that's using it or was it an adult using it?
And, you know, we kind of cue our investigations around that.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: Chris Lawrence joining us now with the latest on this story.
Chris, we've heard a little bit about Devlin's health. We know that he has diabetes.
But are there any other problems that he's going to have to be dealing with?
LAWRENCE: Yes. His defense attorneys say that Michael Devlin had several pre-existing health conditions, including a rare circulatory disease and that Type 2 Diabetes that caused him to have surgery on his foot at one point.
Devlin's defense attorneys have two concerns -- that he get proper medical attention while he's confined and that if this ever goes to trial, that he get a fair one given all the publicity -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, CNN's Chris Lawrence reporting tonight for you live this morning.
Chris, thank you.
HARRIS: The suspect in the missing boys' case -- some describe him as friendly enough and dependable. Others have a very different view.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd want to stay away from that guy. I don't like that man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Neighbors provide new insight on Michael Devlin. Details ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Fidel Castro fighting for his life or on the road to recovery?
We'll talk to our Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the latest report on the Cuban leader's health.
That's coming up in THE NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Fighting terrorism -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates visits the original front in America's anti-terror campaign. That is coming up in THE NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Your house goes up in flames, but your house is the firehouse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: So this is your house?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It used to be. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Hot irony mixed with a little embarrassment in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to go ahead and get straight to T.J. Holmes, standing by in the newsroom now with a train derailment, T.J. in Kentucky.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we want to get straight to these pictures here.
Wow!
This is happening in Brooks, Kentucky. This is just south of Louisville. And the picture here is speaking for itself. We don't have much information on this train crash and derailment. But you can see several cars here and several of those train cars up in flames, up in smoke. This black smoke -- we don't have any idea what may be on this train, what may have been on this train and what may be burning like this.
Again, this is in Brooks, Kentucky. This is just south of Louisville and this is on State Road 1020, if you happen to be familiar with this area, but in Bullitt County.
Now, this happened a short time ago. According to local affiliates, this crash happened around 8:30 this morning. And no real explanation for the crash, and, again, what may have triggered such -- who knows if it was an explosion or what?
But what caused -- or what is causing these kinds of flames?
Something is certainly -- certainly burning and burning good down there and fueling this fire. And it's sending smoke into the area like you just would not believe -- thick, thick black smoke.
We are trying to take a peek here and see what's happening, as well, with the surrounding area. That gives us a great look at this. That is just unreal to see these pictures right now.
We don't know how many cars are actually in there. It looks like some are tucked in, not quite on fire, but under that black smoke, as well, to the right of your screen, more train cars. It looks like other things, maybe on the side of the road, and some of that brush and maybe some grass and whatnot is catching fire.
We don't know what that facility is that -- that red building. It looked like some kind of -- maybe even a house over there to the left, as well, that big red building. We don't know what that is.
Some cars in a parking lot, it appears, as well, right across the street. But it looks like other things are certainly in danger of catching fire or this fire reaching them, as well. Again, we're just south of Brooks, Kentucky. Brooks, Kentucky here -- or, excuse me, just south of Louisville, Kentucky in Brooks, Kentucky.
The emergency officials now saying that flights are being diverted now in the area because of this black smoke and they are trying to determine exactly what is burning. This is according to the emergency officials there.
But my goodness, look at these -- look at these pictures. And something certainly burning and causing these -- this plume of smoke to head up into the air like this.
We don't know, as well, anything about possible injuries at this point with this crash. I don't know who might have been on this train, if it was just somebody, just a conductor or what. But certainly something was being hauled, you could certainly assume.
I don't see right now many fire officials on sight. We see one fire truck. You can see water coming from the -- from the bottom of your screen there, coming into the shot and going into those flames. Maybe there are other fire officials there and they're just trying to keep their distance, but we don't see too many fire officials on the scene just yet.
But we're keeping an eye on this and certainly trying to get more information about what is happening.
But the pictures are just amazing and speak for themselves and are telling the story themselves right now, while we await more information, guys.
COLLINS: Yes.
And T.J. we just want to back up for a moment, because these pictures are just unbelievable. We want to keep them up for people if we could do that. We're obviously noticing thick, thick black, black smoke. It's very hard to speculate and we wouldn't want to do that, about what might be the cargo on this train.
But did you happen to mention, T.J. about HAZMAT crews? Is there any indication that HAZMAT crews are on the scene?
HOLMES: We do not have that information just yet. We're just getting information from emergency officials there in that county. And essentially saying -- or telling the A.P. that they are going from -- trying to go from car to car and trying to find out themselves what is exactly -- or what was exactly -- on this train, what was on those cars and what in the world is causing it to burn like this.
But we don't h any indication just yet -- you could imagine if there was something -- something dangerous or some kind of a chemical that certainly HAZMAT would be called out and maybe that -- that is being done now. But we just don't have information or word just yet that that is happening. So we're keeping an eye on this situation and on these pictures, really, which right now, the pictures themselves are telling the story about what's going on. There's certainly more to find out about why and whatnot, but right now it's just an emergency situation that needs to be taken care of. This is a huge, huge fire. You can tell just by looking.
And, again, you see that one fire truck over there on your left, certainly keeping its distance.
COLLINS: Yes.
HOLMES: But don't see any other fire crews on scene just yet. And, again, right there to the bottom left on your screen, as well, you see a house. It doesn't look like a -- certainly a rural area here. It appears to be a rural area. Not a lot of homes in the area that we have seen, at least from theses pictures.
But, man, just right across the street from that home. That's not something you want to look out your window in the morning and see across the street from you. That would certainly scare the mess out of you on a -- on a Tuesday morning here.
COLLINS: No. And, quite frankly, you can see there now that those flames have certainly jumped that road, too, and they are now burning on the opposite side of the road, where I see that red building. And now we've got two trucks and a couple of others that have clearly blocked off that road.
Again, though, that thick black smoke really raises questions about what the cargo might be. And I'm sure you've seen, too, T.J. the cylindrical cars there that often indicate...
HOLMES: Yes.
COLLINS: ... some type of liquid cargo so...
HOLMES: Liquid being carried, yes.
COLLINS: Right.
HOLMES: And we saw a lot more of this picture here, as well, Heidi, as they pulled out.
HARRIS: There it is.
HOLMES: It looks like there are more homes on the other side here, on the back side, actually, in the direction where the smoke is going. It looks like there may be more buildings and more homes that we didn't see before. We saw what the one on that other side of the road but...
COLLINS: Right.
HOLMES: ... it looks like some other homes and there may be more structures in there... COLLINS: Yes.
HOLMES: ... there, right there in that picture you see them.
COLLINS: And, T.J. we are getting a little bit more information here.
According to the Kentucky State Police -- this is also coming to us from the Associated Press -- the train is apparently operated by CSX, a CSX train. Again, this is coming to us from the Kentucky State Police and according to the Associated Press.
We still do not know what the contents are, but it is possible, according to these reports, that the train operator has indicated they may pose an inhalation hazard, as you may, of course, be aware.
Whenever you see smoke like that, I don't think anybody wants to get too close to it to breathe it in. So, obviously, we will continue to watch these very dramatic pictures, once again, coming to us from Brooks, Kentucky.
We've had a train derailment that you see is on fire. We're going to figure out what is on board and possibly what happened just as soon as we can.
HARRIS: Fidel Castro -- we know he's been sick for months. Now a Spanish newspaper reports he's in grave condition after three operations, all failed attempts to correct complications from intestinal surgery.
CNN's Al Goodman is in Madrid, where the story broke -- Al, give us the very latest.
AL GOODMAN, MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Tony.
Well, that report coming in Spain's largest circulation newspaper, "El Pais," reporting tonight on this day that Cuban president, Fidel Castro, as you said, has undergone these three operations, intestinal surgery, but complications after each one. So now the 80-year-old Cuban leader in serious, very serious condition.
The newspaper citing medical sources at the Gregorio Maranon Hospital in Madrid. Now, that's the same hospital where the chief surgeon last month went to Cuba at the request of Cuban authorities to examine Fidel Castro.
I caught up with the chief surgeon at the hospital this Tuesday. That's Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido, who tells me that he's not the source for the newspaper report. He says it's without foundation because the only credible information would come from Fidel Castro's own medical team.
And he says he can only say what he told people here in Spain at a news conference on December 26th, back in Madrid, at the hospital, at he got back from Cuba, here he says that Fidel Castro was recovering from intestinal surgery, did not have cancer, as some had thought, and that Fidel Castro might even come back to work.
Now, Tony, a Cuban diplomat in Madrid telling the Associated Press the newspaper story all lies -- Tony.
HARRIS: Wow!
OK.
Al Goodman for us in Madrid.
Al, appreciate it.
Thank you.
COLLINS: So just how sick is Fidel Castro?
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, joining us now with some insight on all of this -- Sanjay, tell us the best that you can about what exactly is going on here.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're hearing mixed things and it's been a little bit difficult to piece together. One of the surgeons that actually examined Fidel Castro from Spain saying he's recovering fantastically well, but we are getting some new details over the past couple of hours of what exactly has happened to Fidel Castro.
There were some rumors that maybe this was cancer, maybe this was something else.
What we are hearing that appears to be at the heart of this is something known as diverticulitis. Those are sort of these infections, sort of pouches of infections in the large intestine. Sometimes they can rupture and they can cause an infection all through the abdominal cavity. That's called peritonitis.
The way to treat that is to actually move part of the intestine and try and connect the two parts.
Let me show you quickly, if I can, Heidi, on this model. I've got this model here. Everything in blue is the large intestine. Part of it is actually removed and a connection is made between part of the intestine and the lower part of the intestine.
What has happened, though, and is interesting, is that in those two more operations since then, basically because the operation failed.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: It leaked. And you've got more fluid actually spilling into the abdominal cavity. That led to a second operation, as you can see there, reconstructive surgery to sort of connect that. And then a third operation to clear out more of the fluid.
And let me just say really quickly, as well, despite all that, we're just hearing that he is continuing to have a liter -- at least half a liter of protein liquid ions actually still leaking into his abdominal cavity today.
COLLINS: OK.
So those are toxic type fluids that you don't want in other parts of your body?
GUPTA: You don't want it outside your intestine. You want it within the intestine wall itself. If it gets outside, it can cause a severe infection, which needs antibiotics, usually, I.V. And he can't eat. He's taking...
COLLINS: Well, that's what I was just going to say, diverticulitis, you have to be very, very careful about what you eat because of the little perforations, right?
GUPTA: And in his case he's so sick that he can't even eat anything by mouth. He's getting it all intravenously right now while his intestine is given a chance to sort of heal.
COLLINS: Is there anything that doctors could have done previously, before it led to this second condition? Or could still do?
GUPTA: It's a great question. And I talked to some of my friends who are general surgeons about this. And one thing that they do sometimes -- excuse me, a little bit of throat congestion -- they actually sometimes will divert some of the intestine into a bag -- it's called a colostomy bag -- so that actually the intestine gets a chance to heal, the abdominal cavity gets a chance to heal while that suture line is fixing itself.
It doesn't sound like that was done here. But that's still an option even at this point.
COLLINS: Yes.
All right, well, we will continue to watch it and try to follow those reports, and some of them very conflicting, out of Cuba to learn what may have happened to Fidel Castro at this point.
GUPTA: That's right.
We'll keep on top of it.
COLLINS: Right.
And get well, doctor.
GUPTA: Thank you.
COLLINS: Thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HARRIS: Some amazing pictures just outside of -- let's show these pictures.
Look at this! We'll get back to them in just a second. A train on fire, as you can see here, just south of Louisville, Kentucky.
T.J. Holmes is following this story for us in the newsroom -- and, T.J. the pictures continue to be just spectacular, of this fire.
HOLMES: Yes. Watching this thing, you get more of a sense, as the affiliate here, WLKY, as the cameraman kind of zooms out at times, just to see how large this fire is and how much smoke this thing is putting into the air -- black, black smoke going into the air right now.
Again, Tony, like you're saying, this is in Brooks, Kentucky, just south of Louisville. A train derailment, possibly some kind of a crash. We don't know how this happened. That information we're still trying to get a hold of.
But this is the result. You can see several cars and several tankers from this train -- you can make them out there in the middle of that in the middle of this fire -- derailed, crashed, off the tracks and now on fire.
Emergency officials working right now, saying they are actually going car to car trying to figure out exactly what is burning. They're not sure right now.
What we do know is that this train, according to local officials are telling us, that this was opened by CSX, which operates this train. This is a company based out of Jacksonville, Florida. And they're billed -- they say they're the largest railroad in the eastern U.S. You may even know the name. You might even recognize their label when you see it on some of those trains, CSX, fairly recognizable.
But don't know anything right now about what was possibly on this train and what those tankers were carrying that could possibly be burning like this.
HARRIS: Yes.
HOLMES: But you -- when you see the black smoke like that, you assume that something has got to be really feeding this thing and burning like that.
We are -- we're seeing this fire spread, kind of. You've seen it jump that road there. This is Highway 1020 there, State Road 1020 there, just south of Louisville. But it's jumped the road a little bit. We see a few buildings there to the right of the screen, but also on the left, where the smoke is actually going, we have seen several more homes, what appear to be homes, I should say, in that area that -- that fire, as you can see there, is starting to catch on some of that brush and some of that grass there.
Possibly -- hopefully not -- might make its way over to some of those homes. It certainly seems there's a threat to some structures that we see there. We're certainly working, trying to get more information on this.
But the pictures, Tony, my goodness.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Yes. Well, I just pulled -- just the latest wire on this, just to sort of see if we could get more information. Sort of round out the story a bit, T.J.; the spokesman, the dispatcher for the Kentucky State Police, Joey Mattingly -- maybe we can get Joey on the line with us -- is saying that, basically, the obvious, we have a train derailment with some type of explosion. We're hearing that for the first time, makes sense, given the pictures that we're seeing right now.
No immediate reports of injuries from the wreck, OK? So that's just a further clarification of what's happening on the ground.
How about this, T.J.? There's word that the authorities are preparing to shut down a portion of Interstate 65. Again, not sure what's on board this train that is burning so ferociously at this time.
HOLMES: And you talked about transportation on the ground about to be affected, we also got work or they're reporting that the emergency officials are saying southbound flights are being diverted from this area, so they don't get caught up in this smoke. It's causing issues on the ground, causing issues in the air. Really giving them fits because right now, they don't even know what they're up against.
Also, Tony, remember, we heard from state officials, law enforcement officials there may be some kind of inhalation risk around here.
HARRIS: That's right, that's right.
HOLMES: Don't know, just yet. And don't know what local folks are being told right now. Oftentimes you hear them tell people to stay inside and close windows. Don't know if that's coming just yet, but just trying to get a handle on what in the world is on this train.
HARRIS: But it is something. All right, T.J., appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, Tony.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Innocence lost. One held for four days, the other more than four years. An expert says the scars may be deep. She'll join us live in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And we are "Minding Your Business", Ali Velshi here now with a preview.
Ali, good morning, sir.
ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Good morning, Tony. There's another way to download movies and watch them on your computer. I'll tell you all about that, especially if you're a Netflix customer. Stay with us. You're watching the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: I want to go ahead and bring you more breaking news this hour, directly from Baghdad, gunmen on motorcycles, a series of bombings, including a massive car bomb near a university. That death toll is going up. Our Michael Holmes has the very latest details, now live, from Baghdad.
Michael, what do you know at this point?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Indeed, Heidi, it is going up. In fact, just seconds ago, we heard the death toll in this car bombing has risen to 21 dead, 69 wounded. It was a car bomb outside Mustansiriya University, that's in northeastern Baghdad, about six kilometers that way.
It happened at about 4 p.m. local time, that's about 90 minutes ago, or so. An interior ministry source told us it was a massive bombing. You're probably seeing pictures now of it. And it certainly shows the carnage that is going on.
It appears that it was timed to go off as students and faculty members were leaving the university. Many others faculty members have been targeted in the past, by the way, for assassination as part of the attempt to get the intellectuals of Iraq, if you like, out of town.
This area is about a mile from Sadr City, which as you know, is the home of Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mehdi army. And it is an area that is said to be under his control. Interesting, when the police showed up, to secure the site, so too did the Mehdi militiamen.
And curiously, not an hour later, in another Mehdi army controlled area of eastern Baghdad, gunmen riding motorcycles drove into a busy market area, opened fire, at random. And they killed 10 people and wounded another seven.
Just, finally, there have been several other bombs in Baghdad today; 20 killed, 80 wounded in those. It has been a particularly bloody day here, Heidi.
COLLINS: Michael, as you look around you, though, after this horrific bombing that we are learning about -- and still learning more, as the details come in -- how do things look now? I hear a little bit of sirens in the background, just wonder what you're seeing.
HOLMES: Yes, there's been just in the last few minutes, a fair bit of firing, probably a couple miles away from here. Not all together unusual, a fairly daily event, it has to be said.
The city has been tense for a long time because of the sectarian divide. And this is interesting again, that these incidents, or a couple of these instances, have occurred in very strict Shia areas. So, whether there's likely to be some sort of fall-out on the Sunni side, remains to be seen.
But you know with the U.N. report coming out today, and listing the staggering number of Iraqi civilians who are dying in this country, and who died last year in this country, it is averaging 90 bodies a day, of bodies dumped in the streets. That doesn't count car bombings. This is a city that very much needs something -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Michael Holmes live from Baghdad. Michael, we'll continue to check in with you, as we get more details coming out of Baghdad.
Michael, thanks.
HARRIS: Let's get you back to T.J. Holmes, now with the NEWSROOM. T.J. is following a train derailment and massive fire. That is in Brooks, Kentucky.
T.J., for everyone who is just joining us right now, let's give folks at home a complete reset on what we know about this derailment and fire right now.
HOLMES: We'll start at the top there. Brooks, Kentucky, like you said, just south of Louisville, Kentucky.
Earlier today, a short time ago, actually, about 9 o'clock, Eastern Time. So, really not too long ago, not even an hour, really, had a train derailment. Some kind of train crash even -- but it caused what many believe, officials, an explosion, according to local officials.
And right now, we're seeing a close-up picture from our affiliate, WLKY. This doesn't tell you the whole story. I'm sure we will get a chance to zoom out here and show you this whole picture. But we are seeing the close up of these tankers, cars that were on this train. And the key, now is to find out exactly what was in them. Something is obviously burning and fueling this fire, and it is sending up some black, black smoke up in the air.
We're getting a little more information from officials now. The train is operated by CSX, that company. They don't know the contents right now, according to Kentucky State Police, the company hasn't said exactly what the contents are, but the operator says that they may pose some kind of inhalation hazard.
Right now, we are told by Kentucky State Police that evacuations are under way in the area of Brooks and Shepherdsville, Kentucky, which both are just south of Louisville.
We're watching these pictures, again, hoping we get a pan out, the photographer will give us a wider shot here to give you a better idea of just how large this fire is. But several cars, you can make out there in. There we go. He's pulling out a bit. Just look at that.
HARRIS: That is massive, T.J.
HOLMES: That is massive. And down to the right there, where we see that black smoke, there are more cars in there, not on fire but there are more of the train. We see kind of a trail, there, at the bottom of your screen.
I've been talking to some of our folks who spent some time in the area, kind of covering train derailments, or whatnot. But you see that line, and guessing here that possibly whatever was in those tankers, has leaked out, and is forming that trail and the fire is just following its. So whatever that liquid was, might have gone into a ditch, and is just draining down, and the fire is simply following it. That's why you have that straight line of fire right there.
But you see the concentration of those cars right there in the middle of your screen, now. Firefighters are trying to get a hold of, trying to get a handle on, and figure out -- really, the key still -- what is in these cars.
We see a few homes in the areas, one right there to the left of your screen, but also in other side, the direction of where this smoke is going. There are also other -- what appear to be homes, but certainly several other structures, that may be in some kind of risk, and a threat here.
We do know now, according to Kentucky State Police, that their concern, that there is now a possible inhalation hazard and people are being evacuated now from the area, Tony.
HARRIS: That is the important point in all of this. You see the spectacular pictures, and the firefighters trying to take this on, from a distance. Because let's keep in mind here, T.J., the firefighters at this point don't know what they're dealing with. They have no idea what's in the air, right now, what's being burned, correct?
HOLMES: And they have enough problems on their hands just trying to put out some flames. But now, that's an issue, as well. They don't even know what they're up against. What they may breathing in, right now.
HARRIS: Coupled that with the news that evacuations have been ordered, and that the conductor, the operator of the train, is indicating that the contents might pose an inhalation hazard. It sounds like we're very close to a full on HAZMAT situation.
HOLMES: Quite possibly. We talked about that when we first saw these pictures, haven't gotten word that they're out there yet. But when you hear an inhalation hazard, then you know it's coming. And you know it's happening. If they're taking the precautions that they need to get folks out, and evacuating people right now.
Then certainly, they think something is up and something is dangerous and it warrants evacuation.
HARRIS: Yes. HOLMES: Again, the conductor is saying, or the operator, rather, is saying there may be an inhalation hazard. But don't know still, haven't identified what may be on the train. You see those tankers -- you see several there, at least three right in the middle, a couple more to the right.
So, who knows how many of these cars are actually on fire right now. But you could maybe even guess as many as 10, just looking at that cluster in the middle of the screen, Tony.
HARRIS: So, we will try to get someone from the Kentucky State Police to give us a bit of clarification on this. Maybe we'll work up some Google maps for you, so we have a better idea of the area around. That particular area there, in terms of how many residential communities are nearby, how many businesses?
Maybe we'll come back in a couple minutes and explain this story in a bit more detail. T.J., we appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, Tony.
HARRIS: Let's get to New York now, and Ali Velshi. You can give us a sense how CSX operates, conducts its business, in that region of the country.
ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Well, first of all let's start with that. You were still looking at those tankers, you can see there is liquid in that.
This line that goes down Interstate 65, is the line that goes from Louisville, basically, to Nashville. It is a major line and Kentucky is a major center for CSX. CSX is the fourth or fifth largest shipper, rail shipper, in the country. And Louisville is a major center for the inter-modal type of transport, the transport that goes between train and trucks.
They have facilities there to either change the cars from rail cars, to load them on to trucks, or actually load the cargo between train and trucks. It's major sort of intersection of traffic. That's what's happening there.
Whatever is in those tankers was stuff going from Louisville, or Nashville between those two directions on that rail. This is a very busy railroad. As a result, it's probably hard for them to pinpoint exactly what this train is and what's in it, just from looking at the pictures.
Because they operate about 1200 trains a day, about 20,000 carloads worth of equipment, across the country. It's a major, major train operation. I imagine the folks at CSX are on this right now.
HARRIS: Right.
VELSHI: Trying to figure out what that is. But, boy, the pictures speak for themselves. Right now, there is no response on the markets to this sort of thing. Because it does seem to be isolated. But if you're in that area, or around it, isolated doesn't matter, because there is a lot of black smoke blowing your way.
HARRIS: Exactly. And let's be clear about this, Ali, CSX is a hauler of chemicals, and other things as well.
VELSHI: Sure. It's a hauler of everything we buy in this country.
HARRIS: Right.
VELSHI: And we shouldn't forget that while 80 percent of the goods that we transport in this country get on a truck. At some point they're often on a rail. We get things that come into our ports in the South, in the East and in the West. When you're talking about Kentucky, you're talking about a major, major grouping of states, right in the middle of the country, which are effective hubs.
You put things on, either in California, or in New York, or in the Gulf Coast, and send it to the middle of the country where it gets distributed out to other places. Pretty much anything you can imagine that Americans consume could be on those trains, and some of them are liquid, and you can see that. And some of them are burning right now.
HARRIS: Yes, all right. And so we continue to follow these developments. Look at these pictures. Again, our affiliate there, WLKY, providing the aerial view, the bird's eye view of what is going on right now. Several cars and tankers, carrying liquids, as you can clearly see there, on fire.
COLLINS: As we continue to learn more about what could possibly be the cargo and the contents of some of these tankers that we are looking at.
We are learning from Charlie Winter, he is from the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, saying many people are now being evacuated from the town of Brooks, as we have been talking about, as we have been looking at these pictures of those homes nearby, and other buildings nearby this railway line, including several schools.
At least at this point, as a precautionary measure, because the contents are unknown, those people will be evacuated from the town of Brooks, and those areas that we have mentioned. Also, that division, that same Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, still trying to determine the contents of -- it says, here 14 tankers that are on fire.
Once again, we have learned CSX is the carrier, the transportation company. We continue to watch that.
What we're looking at, specifically, now with these pictures, as we bring in Chad Myers to talk about the weather there.
Boy, Chad, as I look at the flames and the smoke, it's wafting, it's moving fast, and has jumped over the road. So, I'm wondering what you have, as far as wind conditions, in particular.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST, CNN NEWSROOM: Yes, the winds are out of the northwest, really. And they are blowing down across. Here is Louisville, so the winds are blowing this smoke and whatever acrid it is, is blowing away from the town and the city of Louisville. But it is also blowing into some other residential areas, across, like the Bullet County Stone area, the stone company. There is a little quarry there, across the street from this whole thing.
I've switched my maps here. We'll get to the Google Earth, where the train derailment is here. Here is Louisville, itself, the storm, the wind is just blowing this smoke all the way across into the southwest. Brand-new building right there. You are just seeing it here. Google doesn't even have that picture on, with all the storage facilities, here.
Then you have Millbrook, back over here, a little subdivision, the I-65, you mentioned earlier they were thinking about closing that down, if that wind -- because it is blowing that direction -- may blow that smoke directly across I-65, and become a visibility hazard, or for that matter, possibly even an inhalation hazard.
COLLINS: Yes, we just continue to try to figure out, as we check with our sources, all over the place, there in Kentucky, about what could be on board that train.
Chad Myers, Thank you.
Want to get to you Baghdad now, a situation there changing just as quickly. We have learned recently about a massive car bomb that exploded outside of a Mustansiriya University, that is about one mile from Sadr City. You know that to be a Shiite neighborhood, where there is a lot of support for Muqtada al-Sadr. It is considered to be a Mehdi militia stronghold. A very violent area.
We have also just learned this was apparently a dual bomb attack, two vehicles involved now, a minivan and a car. That is what we're learning. We are also learning 28 people dead at this point, 65 injured.
According to Michael Holmes, who is in Baghdad, he says this happened just as students and faculty members were actually leaving the building. This is also something that happened before, where faculty members have been targeted as some type of way to eliminate intellectuals in the area.
Again, more sectarian violence today. We will certainly continue to watch this situation, as well. Once again, learning it is a dual bomb attack, at the university in northeast Baghdad, now looking at 28 people dead, 65 injured. We'll continue to follow it for you.
HARRIS: Still ahead, innocence lost. One held four days, the other more than four years. An expert says the scars may be deep. She joins us live in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BELL CLANGING)
COLLINS: Want to quickly bring you the opening bell, about, oh, 20 minutes, or so ago. We have had a crazy, crazy news day. Normally we bring it to you live. But you are looking at the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, somebody you may know, Troy Smith.
HARRIS: Yeah.
COLLINS: He did quite a job for Ohio State.
HARRIS: Well, until the big game.
COLLINS: Senior quarterback, it was a great a good season.
HARRIS: Yes.
COLLINS: And you see those numbers now, Friday's close was up about 41 points, and ended at 12, 556. Of course, yesterday a federal holiday, so now we see the Dow resting at 12, 575. Up about 18 points. We'll continue to watch that one for you and talk business later on.
And now also want to bring you this, an update on the situation in Kentucky. You're looking at live pictures coming in from our affiliate, WHAS. Wow! I mean, it just absolutely continues to burn.
Still trying to learn what may have happened. We do know this, that train operated by CSX, a railway company. Again, Brooks, Kentucky is the area we're looking at.
We are now learning that, according to the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, that apparently a large number of people are now being evacuated. They want to be careful about the contents. And as you can see, it is just still burning, very black, and those winds making the flames, and the smoke, go up into the air.
Because they don't know what's on board, at least 14 tankers, they are concerned about. They have evacuated some of the schools and some of the people in the area.
Also, learning, according to the sheriff's department there, Bullet County, both directions of I-65 now in the area have been shut down. Once again, in particular, Brooks Elementary School, which I believe is pretty nearby, has been evacuated.
We'll continue to watch that one, and try to find out what is actually in those railway cars just as soon as we can.
HARRIS: And Heidi, back to Baghdad now, and the story unfolding there, two car bombs exploded outside the main gate of Mustansiriya University, in northeastern Baghdad. The updated fatality total now, 60 dead, another 110 wounded. This apparently was a dual bomb attack, with one explosive planted in a minivan, and another in a small bus.
One of our producers, a CNN producer, near the scene said the police sealed off the immediate area and people with Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi army are on the streets, in the area, with weapons, as you can see here. The people are being -- the injured, the dead, the wounded are being carried away. Police cars are being used to carry out the wounded, in addition to ambulances.
This area is on the tip of Sadr City. That area, as you know, is a Shiite neighborhood, where there is a lot of support for Muqtada al- Sadr; it is considered to be a Mehdi militia stronghold.
These pictures, new video, into CNN of this horrific explosion, at this university in northeastern Baghdad. We'll continue to bring follow developments of this story and bring you the latest pictures, and information, as we get it.
To the story out of Missouri, now. Two boys rescued from their prison, but the emotional shackles may be much harder to cast off. Joining us to discuss the trauma of kidnapping, child and adolescent psychologist, Susan Bartell, she is in New York.
Susan, great to talk to you. Thanks for your time.
DR. SUSAN BARTELL, CHILD/ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGIST: Thanks for having me.
HARRIS: Let me first of all, John Walsh, who we love, host of "America's Most Wanted" is not happy with us, the media, for asking the "why didn't Shawn Hornbeck didn't just leave" question.
Take a look a listen to what John Walsh has to say. I'm going to ask the why didn't he just leave question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WALSH, HOST, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": I think the media is doing more damage to Shawn Hornbeck than anybody can realize by keep speculating why he didn't try to escape for four years, and why he was hiding in plain sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Susan, do you believe the speculation could cause more psychological damage to Shawn?
BARTELL: Absolutely not. I think it's a critical question for the media to ask because that's what's on everyone's minds. And very much, it's important for people to understand why he didn't escape.
If we don't ask the question, we can't educate people as to why he didn't escape. Which is, because he was being mentally held captive by Devlin. If we don't ask that question, people won't know that that is the case. And they will just assume he wanted to be there.
HARRIS: OK, so Susan, even though Shawn -- and we'll get to Ben in a moment -- even though Shawn had opportunities to leave, he didn't. Explain to us, why? BARTELL: Well, he didn't escape because he was probably being either threatened by Devlin, or his family was being threatened, or over time he was brainwashed into thinking somehow, this was a good place for him to be. That he had no choice, that he had to stay here.
That gradually, over time, the mind of a child became susceptible to believing that he really was wanted here, that he was cared for here. And that he really was going to be comfortable here, and he had no choice but to stay here. And that he was going to be able to make a life for himself here. And that he had really just to give in to staying here and making himself a new place, a new life.
That, really, it is important for people to understand that mental cruelty can really overpower a child, and make them feel -- and sometimes even being in the public eye, having people surrounding you can make you feel even more helpless, make you feel you have no choice, but to give in and resign yourself to your situation. So, that you really just stayed there.
HARRIS: Susan, let me ask -- yes, let me ask what I think is an important question, and hope you do, too, how do we as parents, give our kids the information necessary to I don't know, maybe override all the information, the playbook of the bad guys in this instance?
BARTELL: That is a good question, very good. Because the bad guy could be someone in your neighborhood, it isn't just what we see on TV as the bad guy. We have to help our kids to understand that the bad guy can be someone who first comes across as someone who is sweet and someone who is nice, and very seductive. And someone who really could be come someone who kind of could come across as giving you things, giving you gifts, making you feel like they're you're best buddy.
You have to be careful to explain that to your kids. That really, they have to always check in with you, as a parent, before they believe anybody is somebody who they can trust. And make sure that you are OK, with it and that you know that everyone that they're talking to is someone that you're in the loop with.
So, yes, I think that is a great question. That is part of why it's important and why John Walsh, I don't think is correct, that the media needs to ask these questions. And that is part of educating our children.
HARRIS: Do you ever recover from something like this?
BARTELL: You know, I have to say, I think it's impossible to fully recover. I think that partial recovery is possible. And that's why it's important for this kid, for both of these kids, to get as much professional help as possible.
And you know, Ben, because he doesn't have sensationalized a story, isn't receiving the same media attention that Shawn is, but he will need as much professional help as Shawn is going to need. Just because he was kidnapped only four days doesn't mean this is going to have -- you know --
HARRIS: Absolutely.
BARTELL: a smaller impact on him. And I kind of feel bad that he's not getting the same attention. Because being kidnapped for four days can be just as bad as being kidnapped for four years. I really want to make sure that Ben's kidnapping is also a big deal.
HARRIS: Thank you for making that point for us. Thank you so much. Child and adolescent Susan Bartell, from New York.
BARTELL: Thanks. Thanks for having me.
HARRIS: Susan, thanks. Appreciate it.
BARTELL: OK.
COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second our in the NEWSROOM.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
