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At Least 100 Dead, 4,000 Wounded in Beirut Explosion; CNN Bureau Witnesses Explosion First-Hand; Lebanese Red Cross Sets Up Multiple Shelters in Beirut; Lebanon Concerned After Trump Calls Explosion an "Attack"; Israel Offers Humanitarian Assistance to Lebanon; U.S. Delegation to Arrive in Taiwan in Coming Days. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired August 05, 2020 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Beirut hospitals are overwhelmed with injured survivors. One person says the city looked like an apocalypse. Right now search-and-rescue efforts are under way. Lebanon's Prime Minister says that more than 2,700 tons of a highly explosive material ammonium nitrate had been stored for years at a port warehouse without proper safety measures. Beirut's governor says the catastrophe is unlike anything the city has seen.

And CNN's Ben Wedeman has more for you now from Beirut.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one knows yet how many people died in Tuesday's blast in Beirut. The destruction was so extensive, the shock wave felt across the city. The emergency services so overwhelmed it was up to whoever could help to provide a bit of comfort to the injured. Open lots turned into field hospitals.

The blasts happened just after 6:00 in the evening. With what started as a fire in a port warehouse, culminating with an explosion the likes of which war scattered Lebanon has never seen.

The whole house collapsed upon us this woman says. In an instant lives were lost and livelihoods destroyed. Michel Hiba (ph) has come to see the wreckage of what was his electric goods store. 40 years says Michel, war, we've seen woes of every kind but not like this. As if the economic crisis, coronavirus, the revolution weren't enough, this tops them all.

Life was already a struggle in Lebanon with its economy in free fall and coronavirus on the rise and now this. HADI SHALAWI, BAR OWNER: We got here an hour ago and as you can see

it's completely and utterly destroyed. We've been open since October and we've been, you know, fighting every month with different circumstances, the economic situation. But it's a catastrophe. What's happening in Lebanon is catastrophic right now.

WEDEMAN: In the word of the Lebanese-American poet, Kahlil Gibran, Pity the Nation.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.

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ANDERSON: Well the explosion in Beirut was so powerful it registered a 3.3 magnitude earthquake shattering windows and damaging buildings far away from the epicenter. Journalist Bel Trew lives in Beirut. She shared these images of her home on Twitter immediately following the blast. Every window is blown out. And the doors ripped off their hinges. She described what she called utter chaos. Writing --

I'm walking through streets strewn with shattered glass in a black out with injured people stumbling about and ambulances wailing. Hospital staff pulling bodies out of gutted hospitals one of three out of commission. The damage is staggering. How will Lebanon bounce back?

Well Bel Trew joins me from Beirut. As the sheer scope and scale of the devastation becomes clear this morning, how are people coping, and coming to terms with what has happened?

BEL TREW, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, THE INDEPENDENT: Well, it really feels like a nation that is completely stunned. I went down this morning in my neighborhood which is a kilometer from the epicenter of the blast. People were trying to clear the broken glass from the streets, the shards of metal, the destroyed shop fronts, the destroyed homes. Some of the facades of the buildings had come down. Some people were still looking for their missing loved ones.

Instagram accounts being actually started. It's already got 60,000 followers of people sharing photographs of those people who are still missing. It really still does feel like utter chaos here. And meanwhile of course, the hospitals are really at breaking points. Particularly those who were actually damaged in the shockwaves that hit the whole area.

ANDERSON: Well, the Prime Minister vowing to hold whoever is responsible for the explosion to account. But what such an enormous cache of highly explosive material was doing being stored at the port so close to the city for six years and who knew about it and did nothing. All questions that people of Beirut want answered this morning - Bel.

TREW: Yes, absolutely. It's the million-dollar question here. Everyone wants to know how this could have happened, 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate apparently being stored in a port which is very close to residential areas.

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In fact, within the sort of kilometer radius there is a very famous streets of restaurants and bars that are often busy in the evenings. People want to know how this possibly happened and why this explosive material was kept there for so many years without proper safety measures in place. And of course it comes at a time when Lebanese are already angry at their government.

We are in an unprecedented financial collapse that really reached a crescendo in October sparking a revolution. People are already going hungry. They already don't have jobs. They are already struggling amid crippling power cuts before this staggering blast. Which honestly, I've covered war and conflicts and suicide bombings for 10 years I've never felt that kind of level of magnitude of explosion. It was huge. And it really did just, you know, rip through central Beirut at such a difficult time.

ANDERSON: Politically this port is under the influence of the Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, and his political party Amal, which, of course, is closely aligned. But there are lots of rumor and conjecture as to exactly who knew what was being held there and for how long. At this point though the morning after people will be reflecting on just what has happened and how as you rightly asked last night, how Lebanon will bounce back. What are your thoughts at this stage?

TREW: Well, really, I can't really see how it will bounce back without an exceptional amount of international help. Because the country, as I said, was already limping through this financial crisis. You know, the Lebanese lira has lost 80 percent -- or more than 80 percent of its value since the start of the year. You're already seeing such high inflation in terms of food costs. Many supermarkets don't even bother labeling their food products anymore because it changes every week.

We were suffering from between 20 to 22-hour power cuts a from the national grid. Most homes are relying on generators if you can afford that. Fuel is running out. People were experiencing total black outs, you know, for large periods of the day. Businesses were destroyed, of course, by the coronavirus pandemic. Locked down as well as the fact people are locked out of many their business -- sorry, dollar accounts.

You know, it's so many levels of disaster here. For this to happen and it to be due to something like negligence really is going to push people over the edge. Because they're already so desperate. And I just can't see and this is an excessive amount of international aid coming in and help rebuilding Beirut. I just can't see how the country can do it on its own.

ANDERSON: Bel Trew is in Beirut as we look at pictures, which Bel can only be described as apocalyptic. The aftermath morning pictures of the port of Beirut. And for those of us who know this city well, it is absolutely remarkable. I mean, it's almost unbelievable to think that that is the port that sits just a mile from downtown Beirut and that's the image coming to us this morning, live from Beirut.

CNN's team on the ground experienced the explosion firsthand. Here are the first images of our Beirut bureau after the blast. You can see the destruction, broken glass from the window covering the desks and camera equipment. CNN's senior international correspondent, Ben Wedeman, writes --

It's an earthquake, I thought, as the CNN bureau in central Beirut shook Tuesday with a violence I'd never felt before. I crouched down on the floor waiting for more tremors. A split second later I heard glass shatter and the crunch of metal.

And you can read the rest of Ben's firsthand account of this massive explosion online. There's a link to Ben's analysis. A blast like no other on our home page, CNN.com.

Well still to come, Lebanon is concerned after U.S. President Donald Trump called the devastating blast an attack. We'll have details of President Trump's comments after this.

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ANDERSON: The Lebanese Red Cross has just announced it has set up multiple temporary shelters in Beirut as the city struggles to cope with the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by a massive explosion which ripped through the city's port sending shockwaves through the city and beyond.

Well, Lebanese officials are concerned with U.S. President Donald Trump calling that deadly explosion an attack. Lebanon hasn't called the event an attack and officials from the U.S. State Department -- sorry Department of Defense say there is no indications the explosions were an attack. One official says, if it had been the U.S. would automatically be deploying troops and assets to the region and that hasn't happened so far. When President Trump was asked if the blast could have been an accident he doubled down on his claims.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a -- seems to be, according to them, they would know better than I would. But they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.

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CHURCH: Well, CNN's senior international correspondent, Sam Kiley, following the story from London. Is there any evidence to back up Mr. Trump's claims at this point -- Sam?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well I just got off the phone with Chris Hunter, Major Chris Hunter, who is a decorated explosives expert attached for many years to the British Special Forces and still works in bomb disposal in Syria and Iraq. He's on leave at the moment. Just spoke to him. And he said it was scientifically inconceivable that the main blast that has so devastated Beirut -- and we've seen that picture of that giant fast- moving bubble of white smoke that then erupted across the city, at what Mr. Hunter -- that Major Hunter said was probably close to the speed of sound.

He believes strongly given the evidence coming from the government in Beirut that there was 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate being stored in that location, and nearby where either fireworks storage or weapons storage. That after examining in detail the video footage that he's seen a great deal of it now, it is clear to Major Hunter that there was an initial fire, however that was started. And that it generated sufficient heat that ignited the otherwise pretty stable ammonium nitrate into this explosion causing to it rapidly expand all at once.

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And he also said that if there was 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored there, then the blast area, the amount of damage that's been done is consistent with that explosion. He says it doesn't look in any way like the use of high explosives. But he does leave the possibility that it was either ammunition or fireworks judging from the initial fire where one could see flashes of light that are caused either by fireworks or ammunition burning off that that was the main ignition point for what in his terms looked like a quote-unquote industrial accident -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Sam Kiley is in London. Thank you, Sam, analysis on certainly, what experts appear to believe happened, judging by the images that they have been able to see.

Countries in the region and around the world are rallying to support Lebanon. Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq are sending field hospitals and supplies to Beirut. That's according to Lebanese state TV. The UAE here has just sent a plane load of aid. Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif said his country was ready to help in anyway necessary. Britain, Turkey, France, Spain, just some of the other countries offering condolences and support as well.

And Israel also offering humanitarian medical assistance approaching Lebanon through diplomatic channels. Let's get to Tel Aviv where Elliott Gotkine is live for us there. That offer of humanitarian help coming after Israel and Israeli officials announcing that they had nothing to do with what at the port -- Elliott.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: That's right, Becky. There's little love lost between Israel and Lebanon. Lebanon, one of just a handful of countries that Israel designate as an enemy state and their have never diplomatic relations between the two countries. So that was one reason why if the foreign minister felt a need to go on television last night to say Israel had nothing to do with this and there was no reason to believe it was anything other than an accident.

But at the same time, the foreign ministry putting out a statement offering humanitarian aid to the Lebanese government. We also heard from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he'd instructed the national security council to liaise with the U.N.'s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process to see how Israel could help Lebanon. And we also heard from the President Reuven Rivlin who tweeted out in

English, Hebrew and Arabic saying we share the pain of the Lebanese people and sincerely reach out to offer our aid at this difficult time.

And the contrast between these words we're hearing over the last 24 hours and the words we were hearing last week when tensions were rising on the border between Israel and Lebanon, they're really quite stark. Just a week ago the Israeli army saying that it had thwarted an incursion on to the Israeli occupied side of the Golan Heights in the north by a squatter of Hezbollah militants. And saying that Lebanese government and Hezbollah were both their responsibility for any retaliation from Israel.

So obviously, just a kind of week later things are very much focused rather than on the rising tensions between the two countries but perhaps on the tragedy that's happened in Beirut and Israel's ability and offer to try to lend a hand.

ANDERSON: Elliott is in Tel Aviv for you this morning. Thank you. And we will continue to follow the developments out of Beirut.

The coronavirus pandemic is, of course, our other main story. Rosemary Church has more on that for you -- Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Thanks so much, Becky.

Yes, a top U.S. health official is traveling to Taiwan to learn more about the coronavirus. It is a high-level trip almost certain to anger China. We'll have a live report for you from Taipei in just a moment.

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CHURCH: A key member of the Trump administration is leading a delegation to Taiwan to learn from its success in battling the coronavirus. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will arrive in the coming days. Despite its proximity to China, Taiwan has less than 500 confirmed cases. And in just the past hour or so China lashed out over the secretary's visit.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is with us now, live from Taipei. Good to see you, Paula. So apart from thumbing its nose at China what all is this delegation led by the U.S. Health Secretary expecting to achieve in Taiwan and what's China saying about this?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, this is a very rare visit by such a high-level U.S. official to Taiwan. In fact, this is the highest-level visit since 1979, so in four decades. And it really is two-fold. As you say the premise for the visit is coronavirus. And the fact that Taiwan has dealt with the pandemic so well.

If you consider this is a country of 23 million people. They have 476 cases. The vast majority of those were imported and they have suffered just seven deaths. So clearly, Taiwan has dealt with this a lot better than most other countries around the world. And we note that the delegation with Secretary Azar will be meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and with the health minister, the foreign minister and talking about coronavirus.

But there's another element to this. As you say China has already reacted to this visit. Beijing is very unhappy with the fact that there is such a high-level U.S. official coming here to Taiwan. Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China. And it is a very sensitive issue which obviously Washington knows extremely well.

So what we've heard from the foreign ministry in Beijing a spokesperson saying that they made stern recommendations to the U.S. about this meeting. They have said the U.S. and Taiwan should not be having official interactions.

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Now Washington knew that this was going to anger Beijing when they decided to carry out this visit. So, yes, the premise is about coronavirus and there is a lot that the United States could learn about how to deal with coronavirus from Taiwan, but clearly there's a second element to this visit -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Absolutely. Paula Hancocks bringing us the latest there from Taipei in Taiwan, appreciate it.

And thank you for your -- we do actually just before we go, we do want to bring you the very latest. We've been covering this story from Beirut. Of course, its massive and deadly explosion that happened yesterday. It is 11:55 in the morning there. It happened just seven minutes after 6:00 p.m. in Beirut local time.

We know at this point that 100 people have been killed, 4,000 wounded. But we do expect that death toll sadly to rise because so many people are still missing and they are trying to find them. Loved ones are trying to find the family members who have gone missing in the aftermath.

You can see, it is total devastation across Beirut. This has taken people by surprise clearly. It looked like a huge explosion. You can see the clouds, the massive white clouds, and it is just devastated the city there, Beirut, and the people who have lived there. It's almost a failed state. They have already been dealing with so very much. You can see there that was the initial explosion there. And we will, of course, at CNN continue to follow this story.

Thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN.

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