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Breaking News

Early Reports Indicate Planes That Collided Carried Freight

Aired July 01, 2002 - 19:41   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Anderson Cooper.

As we reported a few minutes ago, within the last hour in those nighttime skies over Southern Germany, two large aircraft have collided midair.

One of those planes, a Tupolev 154 believed to be carrying freight, collided with a Boeing 757. The German news agency DPA is now reporting that that 757 may have been -- and I say may have been -- a DHL cargo plane. The 757 can carry about 230-some-odd passengers. The Tupolev 154 can carry about 160 or so passengers. But, again, early reports indicate that both of those planes may have been carrying freight.

There are reports of injuries on the ground, falling debris has apparently lit up several fires. Several houses are aflame. A school and at least one farm that we know of. There is one eyewitness report of at least two bodies on the ground. We do not know whether that was from falling debris or from the aircraft themselves.

Another early report says that pieces of the plane have been found scattered for miles. This is the Southern German state of Baden-Wurttermberg. It's about 125 miles southwest of Munich, near Lake Constance.

Again, two aircraft collided midair above Southern Germany. No reports yet of casualties. The earlier reports are indicating that both of these planes may have just been carrying freight. Again, the German news agency DPA saying that the Boeing 757 may have been a DHL cargo plane.

That is all we know at this point. We are following the story, and we'll have an update in just a few minutes.

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