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At This Hour

Patients Suffocating to Death as Indian Capitol Runs Out of Oxygen; Suspected Smuggling Boat Overturns, San Diego Captain in Custody; Soon, Funeral for Andrew Brown Jr. in North Carolina. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired May 03, 2021 - 11:30   ET

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

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[11:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN AT THIS HOUR: India's capital is running out of oxygen. People are suffocating to death inside hospitals there. The country is the global epicenter of the pandemic right now and is currently averaging well over 3,000 deaths every day from coronavirus. Just yesterday, the official death toll hit a record high of 3,689. And the general view is that is wildly undercounted, the death toll.

CNN's Sam Kiley is at New Delhi for us. Watch this.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tears for a much loved colleague. Dr. R.K. Himthani killed by COVID-19 in the same hospital where he'd spent a year treating other victims of the coronavirus. Grief and the inevitable silent question, who's next?

He died here in this intensive care unit because the Batra Hospital where he worked ran out of the most basic necessity, oxygen.

He was not alone. The medical director of the hospital, SCL GUPTA, gave the mid-afternoon casualty figures in this war against the virus.

DR. SCL GUPTA, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, BATRA HOSPITAL: Eight patients died today.

KILEY: Eight?

GUPTA: Died just now, and five, they are under resuscitation, may or may not survive, just because in the capital city of Delhi and because of want of oxygen, which is the lifeline.

KILEY: He knew the chances of reviving the five were slim.

When you heard this morning that you had just a few hours of oxygen and then eight patients died, what does that do to you to the soul of a doctor?

GUPTA: I cannot explain to them my feelings. We are dying inside, we are the saviors, not the murderers. And we cannot express our feelings. I cannot express my feelings because how I'm feeling inside.

KILEY: Is it destroying you?

GUPTA: Yes.

KILEY: How long have you been a doctor?

GUPTA: What, sir?

KILEY: How long you have been a doctor?

GUPTA: 45 years.

KILEY: Must be so destroying. I can't imagine what it must be like for you. I'm sorry.

GUPTA: I'm sorry, sir.

KILEY: Over the next hour, four of the five resuscitation patients died.

[11:35:01]

In a space of about two hours, when the oxygen ran out, 12 people died in this hospital, which in every other respect, is a first world facility. They're simply asphyxiated.

The hospital copes by having patients to source their own supplies of oxygen to cover its erratic supplies. Local and international efforts to get enough of the gas into India's capital are still failing. India's central and national governments have been unable to explain the oxygen shortages, and as the numbers of people infected with COVID-19 soar in India along with the daily death toll, the Batra Hospital, like many others, will admit no more patients. There's no point.

SHINU VERGHESE, HEAD OF NURSING, BATRA HOSPITAL: We will not take more admissions because we don't want people to die in front of us. So they can go to the other hospital where the oxygens available.

KILEY: Dr. Kishore Chawla runs a Hindu temple charity. He pulled through COVID-19 before the oxygen started to run out.

DR. KISHORE CHAWLA, CEO OF CHATTARPUR MANDIR: From housekeeping, even the nursing staff, the supervisors, all are working very hard.

KILEY: Fair enough. But the Indian's government's failure to ensure basic supplies to hospitals in the face of a long-term pandemic is simply not going to wash.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Sam Kiley joins me now from New Delhi for more on this.

Sam, what are you hearing? I mean, what is the government doing to address this basic need, this oxygen shortage? KILEY (on camera): Well, Kate, I'm joining you from the outskirts of Delhi, in a makeshift camp that had been one of the very few places where you could get some oxygen, because the local aid organization was able to send drivers 500 miles or more in each direction to far- flung states and cities to try to get meager amounts of oxygen.

But this now is the scene. This was packed with people earlier on today, Kate. On every bed, there was a person, worryingly, increasing numbers, and this is purely anecdotal, but I'm seeing increasing numbers of young men who don't normally suffer quite so catastrophically from COVID-19, but they were all in beds around here and now there is nobody here because they completely run out of oxygen.

There is a rumor they are hoping to be able to get hold of some more later on. They've sent a bus out with some empty cylinders to try and get some. And if they do, then they will put out a WhatsApp announcement, social media announcement, and people once again will flock in.

The central government has just mobilized medical students, senior medical students to join the COVID efforts, but it's still effectively in a state of denial about the amount of oxygen required. The health minister saying a few days ago that Delhi is actually getting more than they had asked for, which is manifestly untrue, Kate.

BOLDUAN: That is unbelievable that they think that there is even close to enough oxygen getting where it needs to be. Sam, thank you for your continued coverage and for being there. Thank you so much.

So, as what Sam is getting at, I mean, the world is watching in horror what is unfolding for the people of India. And it is putting, as Sam is pointing, out a bright spotlight on the country's leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his handling -- rather mishandling of this crisis.

Our next guest just wrote about this for foreign policy and he does not mince words. Modi fiddles while India burns. Joining me right now is Kapil Komireddi. He's author of Malevolent Republic, a Short History of the New India. Kapil, thank you for being here. I'm so sorry that this is why we have to lean on your expertise here for what we are seeing.

I mean, we just heard from Sam Kiley and his gut-wrenching report. I want to read for everyone watching how you describe the situation that is unfolding. What is unfolding in India is more than a crisis triggered by a pathogen. It is a carnage precipitated by the conduct of the self-enamored leader.

You say Prime Minister ModI lulled Indians into a suicidal belief that worst was behind them. Is he directly to blame?

KAPIL KOMIREDDI, AUTHOR, MALEVOLENT REPUBLIC, A SHORT HISTORY OF THE NEW INDIA: Absolutely. He is the reason we are in this crisis. Kate, last November, the parliamentary committee warned him of a second wave, it urged him to stop buying oxygen. He didn't do. In January, he gave to speech to the World Economic Forum, in which he sought applause for his handling of the coronavirus. In February, his party passed a resolution hailing his leadership for decisively defeating COVID-19 at no point did he heed the warnings that came his way. He lulled Indians into the belief that the worst was behind him and he was taking a victory lap when the second wave crashed on India.

[11:40:00]

BOLDUAN: But, Kapil, now, as bad as this is, you actually write that you think the prime minister is not only not going to take responsibility for a leadership failure but that he may actually be able to convert this into some kind of -- it's even gross to be talking about, but like an opportunity.

KOMIREDDI: Yes. His entire -- his team have already begun demonizing people who warned him months ago. His entire machinery, the foreign secretary of India, the foreign minister, has advised Indian diplomats to dash off letters to editors of foreign newspapers who do not take into account, as he put it, the globally acclaimed leadership of Prime Minister Modi in handling the crisis. Anyone questioning him is being denounced as anti-national.

And the prime minister has a history of converting crisis into opportunities. And he might very well use what is a calamity, the worst crisis that strike India since its (INAUDIBLE) seven decades ago, into an opportunity to effectively formalize what has been for the past seven years, a strong man rule.

BOLDUAN: Kapil, thank you very much for being here, and thank you for your words.

Coming up for us, at least four people are dead after a ship overturns off the coast of California. Now, the captain is in custody. Was this a smuggling operation? We have the very latest on the investigation.

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[11:45:00]

BOLDUAN: At this hour, California officials say they have one person in custody they believe was responsible for this, what you see on your screen right now, of operating an alleged human smuggling operation when the ship capsized off the coast of San Diego yesterday.

Joining me right now for more on this is CNN's Stephanie Elam, who has been following all these developments. Stephanie, how many people do they now say have died from this? What is the latest?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest we know, Kate, is that four people have died in this incident, and that there is one person who remains in critical condition. More than 20 people have been hospitalized. And we do know that the search continued overnight.

When you take a look at this vessel, which officials say was severely overcrowded, this 40-foot vessel that hit a reef, capsized, all those people thrown into the water and then on top of it, the boat disintegrating. Some of those people were able to make it to the land themselves. Six people were rescued out in the water. In fact, take a listen to some of the conversation going on as rescuers were trying to get the people out of the water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) . UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Border Patrol is inquiring as to how many we have

accounted for. Possibly 22 to 25 what we heard out here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're setting up a medical triage for all the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two CPR status and three bodies or three people on the dock awaiting evaluation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All patients have been lifted up to the top right up there. And we do have one critical at the beach. We're doing a secondary search of the beach as well.

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ELAM: And it's worth noting that there were two Navy sailors that just happened to be in the area and they jumped into the water to help rescue people. They're saying the water at the time was choppy, five to six-foot swells, cold, with a temperature of about 60 degrees. And it was about 10:30 in the morning when this happened yesterday local time. And all of that, they're saying between that and just injuries from this boat disintegrating and the rocks around it, some people having injuries from that. But because of that, it made it an extra difficult rescue picture for them to get these people out of the water with.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Stephanie, thank you very much for that update.

Coming up for us, loved ones are preparing to say goodbye to Andrew Brown Jr. today. He was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies in North Carolina. Despite a judge's order, at the very same time, demands are growing louder for the body camera footage in this police encounter, this deadly police encounter, to be released. We'll be back.

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[11:50:00]

BOLDUAN: Let's take you now to North Carolina. We're going to give you a live look at the service that is about to get under way in just a few minutes, a funeral service for Andrew Brown Jr. Sheriff's deputies, you will remember, shot and killed Brown nearly two weeks ago now. And while his family today is gathering to say their final goodbyes to Andrew Brown, they are also demanding that authorities release the full body camera footage from the police shooting that killed him, though a judge ruled last week that it will not be released publicly for at least 30 days. And protests demanding justice, demanding transparency continue.

CNN's Natasha Chen, she joins me now from North Carolina. Natasha, what can you tell us? What are you hearing from there?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, the family just arrived here at the Fountain of Life Church behind us and ready for this funeral to start at noon. We're expecting Reverend Al Sharpton to give the eulogy here, family members are also expected to speak and perform songs here to celebrate Andrew Brown Jr.'s life. And as you mentioned, there has been continuous protests since his death, even today after the funeral, another march is planned.

So the continued cries for transparency are happening while they lay him to rest, while they are grieving, all of this happening simultaneously, so it will bound to be a very emotional ceremony, Kate.

BOLDUAN: So where do things stand when it comes to this body camera footage, the family going to see it, the fact that it's not likely to be released publicly for quite some time?

CHEN: Right. So the family could see more body camera footage in the coming days, the judge said ten days and that ruling happened last week. So they're waiting for that. But, so far, as one of Andrew Brown's aunts told me yesterday, she said that only a couple of family members actually got to view the 20-second body camera footage so far, leaving the rest of the family like herself out of the room when they viewed it.

[11:55:02]

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LILLIE BROWN CLARK, ANDREW BROWN JR.'S AUNT: I was just overcome with shock and surprise because we were told to come down, Brown family will see the video. i mean, that's what we expected, to see the video.

I just don't understand, you know, what are they trying to accomplish? What is the purpose of having the video -- what is the purpose of having taxpayers pay for body cameras if they're not going to be seen?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: I asked one of the family attorneys yesterday if there's any update to when the rest of the family might see more of that video, it's unclear right now, and it's also unclear whether that video is similarly like those 20 seconds going to be redacted with blurred faces, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Natasha, thank you very much, that's getting under way any moment. We'll be right back.

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