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Breaking News

One Death Reported in Hollywood Hotel Fire

Aired August 16, 2001 - 07:40   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now I'm monitoring our affiliate KABC in Los Angeles, the latest on this hotel fire which is still raging as we speak. Live pictures, you're looking at a hotel on the corner of Santa Monica and Western.

And according to this eyewitness, who's being interviewed right now, Anthony Bart (ph), he is saying that there has been at least one death, probably a baby. Several families living inside this hotel. It sounds like a residential hotel. It's not in a neighborhood where most of the tourists would likely be staying.

And he's describing a scene where an explosion somehow ignited this fire. There was a loud explosion. It blew out his door. He was running out into the hallway. People were scrambling down the stairs. They couldn't get down to the first floor because the flames were burning so hot and heavy so they had to try to exit through an emergency exit. They had to detach the exterior ladder and try to scramble to safety, and that's when somebody remembered that there was still a family inside. And next when somebody checked, according to this witness, they found a baby who had died in the fire.

We, again, are monitoring this situation in Los Angeles. It is only 4:41 in the morning.

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