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Putin Accuses Ukraine of Carrying Out Bridge Explosion; Russia Sees Mass Exodus after Mobilization Order; Kirby Tamps Down Biden's 'Armageddon' Nuclear Remarks; State Media: Kim Jong-un 'Guided' Missile Tests, War Games; Landslide in Venezuela Claims 25; Tropical Storm Julia Threatening Central America; U.N. Chief Urges Considering Sending Troops to Haiti; Mozambique Fights to Push Out ISIS-Linked Militants. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 10, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. Coming to you live from Studio Seven at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a Security Council meeting in the hours ahead, after he blames Ukraine for the Crimean bridge explosion.

North Korea says leader Kim Jong-un has personally guided tactical nuclear drills as tensions continue to escalate in the region.

And in Venezuela, a massive landslide has left at least 25 people dead. We'll have a live report ahead.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM, with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: In the hours ahead, Russia's president is expected to discuss the latest blow to his military operation in Ukraine and contemplate his next moves.

Vladimir Putin will hold a Security Council meeting where he will likely consider his response to an explosion that damaged Moscow's bridge to Crimea. Russia has blamed the blast on Ukraine.

And in the past few days, it has intensified attacks on Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Just hours ago, it reportedly destroyed an apartment block, leading to many casualties.

Before that attack, Ukraine's president said the strikes this week have killed at least 43 civilians, including 14 at this building. Among the victims, children as young as ten.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I remember that when we woke up, I heard some sounds. I thought something was right next to my ear. I heard the air raid sirens, and some person next to me screaming. There is no mobile connection. It was horrific. This Russian federation, the way it's doing all this. Special operation? I don't think this is a special operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Nearby, officials have restored power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after it was lost during shelling. The attacks in recent weeks have raised fears of a potential meltdown, and the U.N. has again called for a protective zone.

A Kremlin spokesman is playing down concerns that Russia might use nuclear weapons to respond to the Crimean bridge blast. Dimitri Peskov was asked about it, but he simply dismissed the question.

Now, this comes after Moscow previously warned of a nuclear strike if threatened. And after Vladimir Putin called the bridge explosion, a terror attack by Ukraine.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear that he held Ukrainians' secret service responsible for the attack on the Kerch bridge after a meeting with the head of his investigative committee.

They called this a terrorist attack against civilian infrastructure in Russia.

Now, that's important, because it could potentially invoke different responses from Russia. There will be a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Monday, where it's likely they will have to address this issue. These happen weekly, but obviously, there's great emphasis on this particular one.

Asked whether or not their nuclear doctrine might be invoked because of this attack on Russian territory. A Kremlin spokesperson called that mere question inappropriate.

So we simply don't know how Russia is going to respond. But the symbolic damage has been enormous. Today, state media is trying to make light the damage to that bridge itself, saying that cars are moving again on the road, carriageways.

And the rail stock continues to move up and down the rail part of it. But still, there was damage. And it will have a knock-on effect to supply of Russian troops in the south of Ukraine in areas which they are still occupying.

Whether or not that damages their presence on the frontlines, we'll find out. But that bridge had been used to supply troops. No doubt about it.

For ordinary Ukrainians, though, the idea of a Russian retaliation is difficult to understand. Possibly because every day they're being attacked.

No different at all was Sunday morning in Zaporizhzhia. A town is being hit again and again over the past week. The city hit by six cruise missiles, 16 anti-aircraft missiles slamming into residential areas. At least 13 dead, 80 injured. Hundreds of rescuers combing through the wreckage to try and save people. An ordinary scene, tragically, across Ukraine, because of Russian indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

No change on Sunday because of that. Do we see more in the days ahead, because of the attack on the Kerch bridge? Ukraine hasn't claimed it officially. Most people are pointing towards them.

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But it's another sign of how Russia is militarily failing. Ukraine able to infect damage on his reputation. Any wondering quite what comes next out of Moscow.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Joining me now from New York, Masha Gessen is a writer for "The New Yorker." Also the author of the book, "Surviving Autocracy." I's great to see you again.

Let's talk about the bridge. Quite apart from the physical damage, what is the significance of this in terms of the symbolism of it being hit? For Russia broadly, but for Vladimir Putin more specifically?

MASHA GESSEN, WRITER, "NEW YORKER": Well, it is the worst birthday present that Putin could have imagined for his 70th, which was October 7. The annexation of Crimea is Putin's greatest claim to fame. Greatest claim to a legacy, greatest claim to popularity among the Russian people.

He was hoping to build on the popularity with the capture of all of Ukraine. That has clearly not gone as he planned it. And not only that, but Ukrainians have been staging a counteroffensive, have been very successful. And are saying quite openly that they plan to reclaim all the lands occupied by Russia, including Crimea.

That, to Russians, even though Crimea was annexed only eight years ago, seems almost unbelievable.

So, for the -- this audacious bridge to basically go up in flames in a very spectacular manner, on Putin's 70th birthday, is not only an affront to him, but a sign that, yes, Ukrainians are very credible when they say that they could reclaim Crimea.

HOLMES: You write in "The New Yorker" a terrific piece and gave great insight into the thinking of those leaving the country to escape the mobilization.

What does this exodus mean in terms of the public view of this war? Or is that broad support still the sentiment? What would be the tipping point? This has been an extraordinary exodus, far more than numbers mobilized.

GESSEN: Absolutely. Yes, and thank you for -- for your kind words about the piece. It was an amazing piece to report, because everyone I spoke to had a different story, obviously. But the draft is affecting men from 18 to 50. And those are the ages of men who are leaving.

And there was an earlier mass exodus, somewhere around probably a quarter million people. It's very difficult to put an exact number on it. Put probably a large number of people fled Russia in literally the first two weeks of the full-scale invasion.

So, the people who we're seeing leaving now are people who found reasons to stay seven months ago. Whether it was because they had things that were holding them in Russia that they just couldn't leave, like for example, elderly, ailing parents. Or they made a kind of uncomfortable peace with the war. They weren't exactly for the war, but it also wasn't affecting them, and they thought they could carve out space for themselves.

Or, in a couple of cases, I spoke to people who were actually anti-war activists and who thought they could fight against the war while staying in Russia.

And for all of them, that construction has collapsed, right? You can't care for your ailing parents if you're about to be drafted. You can't continue running a business or whatever it is you're doing and carving out a space for yourself and thinking that the war doesn't have anything to do with you. And you can't really be an activist against the war, because you're going to get arrested and sent to the front all the same. So all these categories are leaving.

HOLMES: Yes. We really got to know the people in the piece, and that was what was fascinating about it. We're almost out of time. Real quick, do you think Putin would have expected this exodus or the scale of it? How embarrassing is it?

GESSEN: I don't think he expected this exodus. I think this is the problem with all autocracies, is that eventually, they -- they get less and less reliable information. Partly because nobody wants to give the autocrat bad news. Partly because they suppress alternatives points of view.

So if he's looking -- if he's watching his own television, as he has for 22 years, he is seeing overwhelming support for the war. That's not entirely inaccurate. But the mistake he made is that he confused support for the war with willingness to fight in the war.

HOLMES: Yes, yes.

GESSEN: But that's a whole other story.

HOLMES: Yes. That's so well put. Masha Gessen, always a pleasure to have -- have your expertise on. Thanks for taking the time.

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GESSEN: Thank you for having me.

HOLMES: A top White House official who's trying to downplay fears of a nuclear attack from Russia. Just days ago, of course, President Joe Biden warned of a potential nuclear Armageddon at a Democratic fundraising event.

But John Kirby says those remarks were not based on any new intelligence. CNN's Arlette Saenz with more from Washington.

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House continues to face questions about President Biden's recent comments on the prospect of nuclear Armageddon.

In a fund-raiser earlier last week, the president said that the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons is at its highest point since the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago.

Now National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, was asked once again about the president's comments on Sunday morning. And he said that while there is no imminent threat, no new intelligence that suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to use nuclear weapons, the president's comments, he argued, simply speak to the reality and the gravity with which they're viewing the situation.

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: These comments were not based on new or fresh intelligence or new indications that Mr. Putin has made a decision to use nuclear weapons.

And quite -- quite frankly, we don't have any indication that he has made that kind of decision.

The president was reflecting that the stakes are high right now, given what's going on on the battlefield in Ukraine and given the very irresponsible and reckless comments made by Vladimir Putin in just the last few days.

Now, look, he's also said we're not going to be intimidated. Neither we nor our allies are going to be intimidated by this. And we're going to continue to provide support and security assistance to Ukraine, as is necessary.

In that same Democratic fund-raiser earlier in the week, President Biden also publicly mused over whether there's an off-ramp for Putin. Kirby was asked about those comments, and he did not outline any exact options that the U.S. is considering to try to defuse the situation but argued that it is ultimately up to Putin to de-escalate and end this war.

Now, while Russia and Ukraine remain top of mind for President Biden, he is also preparing to travel out West this week. First, he'll be making a stop in Colorado on Wednesday, where he's expected to announce a new national monument.

The president will designate Camp Hale, which was a World War II training ground high up in the Rocky Mountains, as a national monument, which would essentially protect it from development.

After Colorado, the president will also be making out in California and also in Oregon.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, North Korea is at it again. Japan and South Korea say the hermit kingdom fired off a pair of ballistic missiles on Sunday. Just the latest, of course, in a spate of launches in the past two weeks.

Well, now, North Korean state media boasting about the size and the scale of military drills overseen by leader Kim Jong-un.

I'm joined now by CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, live in Hong Kong. So a day after North Korea fires two more ballistic missiles, Pyongyang releasing some new information and imagery about the tests. Kim Jong- un in focus. Tell us about it.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael, according to the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, personally guided recent military drills and tactical missile tests, all in response to those large-scale military exercise recently conducted by the United States and its ally South Korea.

I want to show you these photos that were published by the North Korean newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun. And they apparently chronicled the last few weeks of missile testing by North Korea.

They also show photos of Kim Jong-un in charge. They see him gazing from a distance of a missile launch that is just taking place. You see him pointing. You see him offering field guidance, as well.

And according to KCNA, North Korea at this moment is very confident about its weaponry and its capabilities. I want to bring up a portion of the report for you.

KCNA sys this, quote: "The effectiveness and practical combat capability of our nuclear combat force were fully demonstrated as stands completely ready to hit and destroy targets at any time from any location," unquote.

And KCNA also added a chilling detail. It said on September the 28th, North Korea conducted a military drill. and it was a practice session in order to, quote, "practice neutralizing airports in South Korea."

Now, according to KCNA, they say that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is in no mood for talks. In fact, according to the state-run news agency -- let's bring is up for you -- Kim Jong-un said this.

Quote, "Even though the enemy continues to talk about dialogue and negotiations, we do not have anything to talk about, nor do we feel the need to do so," unquote.

North Korea has been carrying out a flurry of missile tests. In the last two weeks, it's carried out seven such tests. One fresh test launching two missiles early on Sunday morning. Last Tuesday, it fired a missile over Japan, the first such test since 2017.

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And this year, North Korea has fired its highest number of weapons since the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, came into power in 2011.

Tension is rising in the region, especially as the United States and its allies respond to this uptick in testing. We have seen those military exercises take place between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as its other ally in the region, Japan.

Also, the redeployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier, the Ronald Reagan. Now in waters near the Korean Peninsula, not to mention the recent sanctions slapped by the United States, targeting North Korea and its fuel procurement network.

On top of all this, world leaders are standing at the ready, looking for any signal of a possible North Korean nuclear test. If that takes place, it would be the first such test since 2017.

Back to you, Michael.

HOLMES: Yes. You mention the region. And China's 20th Party Congress is coming up. How is China responding to all of these tests?

STOUT: We are awaiting China's response today. Monitoring state media, waiting for the ministry of foreign affairs press conference to take place later.

China is a friend of North Korea. They have friendly relations. China has also shielded North Korea at the United Nations, with recent votes that had taken place, voting against those for additional sanctions being slapped against North Korea, joining Russia in doing so.

That being said, the timing is significant because of the 20th Party Congress coming up around the corner, a very politically significant time. This is when Xi Jinping will consolidate his power. Xi Jinping does not want any distractions, and North Korea is providing just that.

Back to you.

HOLMES: Yes, yes. Kristie, great reporting. Thanks for that. Kristie Lu Stout there in Hong Kong.

Quick break here on the program. When we come back, heartbreak in Venezuela. A landslide claiming at least 25 lives. Dozens more missing. We'll have a live report.

Also, Julia downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm but still posing a threat to Central America. CNN's weather team is following the storm. We'll have them up live, too.

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HOLMES: What you're looking at there is Northern Venezuela, where a massive landslide has left at least 25 people dead, dozens missing.

It happened after days of heavy rain caused five streams of a river in the state of Aragua to overflow.

On Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro offered search-and-rescue teams and security agents to respond to the crisis. Also declaring three days of national mourning.

For more on this, let's bring in journalist Stefano Pozzebon.

Good to see you, Stefano. Bring us up to date on what you're hearing.

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, the figure of 25, of course, Michael, is still preliminary, unfortunately. Authorities in Venezuela expect that number could grow in the upcoming hours.

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A team from CNN was actually able to visit Las Tejerias, the town that was most affected and where the mass majority of the victims have been reported. The team from CNN that went to Las Tejerias on Sunday, where they witnessed the houses completely flattened and entire streets covered in mud, in mud meters deep.

Of course, Michael, like many urban areas of Venezuela, Las Tejerias is a shantytown where protocols, building protocols are often bypassed, as people build their own homes wherever they can. And that, of course, leads to not so stable structure, infrastructure that, in extraordinary rain, like the one that Venezuela has registered over the last couple of days, lead to tragedies like these.

The vice president of the country, Delcy Rodriguez, went to Las Tejerias on Sunday. She blamed climate change for bringing an unprecedented amount of rain in -- over Venezuela and over that area, in particular, offered condolences, and led the search and rescue and, unfortunately, probably recovery operations in -- in the area.

And the whole -- the entire coast of -- Northern coast of South America has been battered by hurricanes, Hurricane Ian, over the last 48 hours. We had rain here in Colombia where I am, going up to Nicaragua. But of course, the majority of the damage and the greatest tragedy occurred in Venezuela.

At least 25 people. It's an unprecedented number in recent years, at least -- Michael.

HOLMES: Yes, just incredible. Horrific images there. Stefano Pozzebon, thanks so much. Good to see you.

Well, Julia is now a tropical storm but still poses a threat to several Central American countries in the way of heavy rain, wind and the risk of landslides.

Julia made landfall in Nicaragua on Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane. You're looking at some of the flood damage there that the storm left behind.

CNN meteorologist Britley Ritz joins me now with the very latest developments. What are you seeing there, Britley?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Michael.

Yes, we are looking at all of the system now inland of Nicaragua, through the higher elevations, which has allowed this system to weaken. The land itself, the higher elevation, has deteriorated most of the storm. But still, a tropical storm nonetheless.

The center near Managua, Nicaragua with winds of 95 kilometers per hour. Tropical-storm-force with hurricane-force wind gusts of 140 miles, or kilometers per hour, which is part of the reason why Lufields (ph), Guatemala has seen a lot of this water come in over their streets.

This is storm surge video from Nicaragua as it pushes onto shore. So this is one of the bigger concerns that we dealt with on the east coast. Now, the winds are switching around and pushing onto shore on the West coast, on the Pacific side.

Not just storm surge, but also rain. We're seeing a lot of pooling on the roadways and a lot of these roads turning into rivers. Inundated homes. Not a good situation to be in. So as always, never drive through this. It only takes 12 inches of water to lift your vehicle off the ground and carry it down the way.

Over the past 24 hours from Honduras to Guatemala, we picked up 100 to 200 millimeters of rain and more to come over the next 4 to 5 days.

Monday, rolling into the evening, still dealing with the remnants of Julia. Then pushing up into parts of El Salvador and right up into Mexico. The Isthmus of Mexico showing some of the heavier rain; will have the greatest threat for flash flooding.

Then rolling into Thursday, several waves of moisture to follow that are not associated with Julia, but still more rain added to what we've already picked up.

Heavy rain expected through El Salvador. The reds picking up 150 to roughly 200 millimeters of rain, which, by the way, El Salvador, most of your rainfall for the month of October is going to be accumulated just within a matter of five days -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Britley, thanks. Britley Ritz there with the very latest. We'll check in with you next hour. Now dramatic images to show you of a volcano erupting on the Italian

island of Stromboli near Sicily. The eruption happened on Sunday. So far, no injuries reported. But just have a look at that, the power of it.

Local residents being advised to stay away from doors and windows that could shatter from explosions. Incredible images there.

The Stromboli volcano is said to be one of the most active on earth. It's been erupting continually for decades now. That'll wake you up.

As the humanitarian crisis in Haiti worsens, the U.N. chief is urging the deployment of international troops. We'll have details on this volatile situation in just a few moments.

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HOLMES: And welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Now, the U.N. secretary-general says international troops may be needed to restore order as Haiti falls ever deeper into humanitarian crisis.

The U.N. has released this statement from Antonio Guterres, addressing Security Council and saying, in part, quote, "The secretary-general urges the international community to consider, as a matter of urgency, the request by the Haitian government for the immediate deployment of an international specialized armed forces to address the humanitarian crisis, including securing the free movement of water, fuel, food, and medical supplies."

Now, all of this coming amid growing protests in Haiti and a blockade of the country's main fuel ports by violent gangs. Haiti's also facing a new cholera outbreak, and many schools, businesses and hospitals are shut down.

All right. I's like to bring in Harold Isaac. He's an independent journalist in Haiti. He joins me now from Port-au-Prince.

Thanks for doing so. When you look broadly at Haiti, the political situation, social, humanitarian, the gang control, and so on, what do you think is the overall state and stability of the country?

HAROLD ISAAC, JOURNALIST: Haiti has been going through a challenging time, at least for the last few years. And it's been going worse in the last year, and especially in the last few months. As such, Haiti is facing an unprecedented set of crises that are trying all the levers of -- of the state and the society.

HOLMES: You now have, at the Haitian government's request, we should say, the United Nations supporting the idea of a multinational rapid reaction force to help with the security situation, specifically. I'm curious what Haitians might make of that, given a decade ago,

there was a U.N. peacekeeping mission. Some of those peacekeepers were accused of things like sexual assault, even sparking a cholera epidemic. What would Haitians -- would Haitians understandably be suspicious of such a thing or welcome it, given what's going on?

ISAAC: It is a controversial topic. It's really divisive here in Haiti, considering the very complicated history that Haiti has with foreign interventions and American interventions, in particular.

Any time that military -- foreign military intervention is brought up, it is really, you know, polarizing.

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And as such, you have, you know, patriots that you could consider they are totally against it. And then you have the government of Haiti and a chunk of the civil society who are asking to have boots on the ground.

HOLMES: There's always, you know, a lot of talk about whether Haiti is a so-called failed state. Is it? And how or can it come back from the current challenges?

ISAAC: It is a question. It is a definition that is brought up. And I think, internationally, also a time. It certainly is not easy for folks here to see the country as such, despite big challenges.

You have three branches of the state that are dysfunctional: the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative are are all but dysfunctional.

However, you have folks that are still trying to make a living, trying to, you know, survive in this very challenging environment. And who find that it's rather, you know, disrespectful in a way.

HOLMES: You know. It always seems to be, you know, a series of Band- Aids, if you like, for Haiti's myriad issues. As we said, political, social, crime, and so on. What would it take to bring a more comprehensive and, importantly, lasting solution for the country?

ISAAC: I'm no security expert, but certainly, the issue is complicated. It's complex and probably will ask for a comprehensive approach to try and address it.

This has not just happened over the last, you know, year. It's been decades in the making. And we're seeing, you know, several failings that are accumulating and that led to this -- the situation today.

Certainly, you know, you have the Haitian society that has to, you know, face this reality and also find a way forward to handle this -- this descent into chaos.

HOLMES: The Dominican president, he said just recently, he said Haiti's crisis -- the street protests, the gang control of considerable parts of the country -- amounted to what he called a low- intensity civil war. Would you agree with that? How much worse could it get?

ISAAC: The situation is complicated here in Haiti, honestly. And the Dominican president has been very vocal about the situation. He claims -- he's obviously worried about the situation spilling over to his territory.

But, you know. Haiti is facing a very complicated set of challenges. Her and it could be prepared or compared to some sort of a civil war. I'm not putting specify the intensity of it. It is complicated. The last month has been very, very complicated.

HOLMES: Yes. It's tough times for Haiti. The sad thing is it has been for so long. And that sort of comprehensive look at resolving it is yet to be made.

Harold Isaac, we're going to leave it here. Really appreciate you taking your time.

ISAAC: Thanks for having me.

HOLMES: Protests in Qazvin in Iran on Sunday. One of many gatherings across the country, demanding justice for the deaths of young women after being detained by the Islamic Republic's Morality Police, as well as other basic freedoms, as well. This has morphed much further than the hijab.

It hasn't come without -- hasn't come without a fight and it hasn't been peaceful. An Iranian human rights group reporting at least four people killed on Saturday during protests in Iran's Kurdish city of -- Sanandaj.

Another Iran-focused human rights group based in Norway reports at least 185 people have been killed so far in the protests. Iran's government has reported less than half that number of deaths. CNN hasn't been able to independently verify either of those death toll claims.

Iran's state news agency, meanwhile, now says a corrupted file allowed hackers to allegedly interrupt a nightly state newscast on Saturday. As you see there, the show interrupted by images of a masked figure followed by the face of Iran's supreme leader inside the crosshairs of a weapon.

CNN spoke with the leader of United4Iran, a group working to advance civil liberties in the country, about whether the government should feel threatened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIRUZEH MAHMOUDI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNITED4IRAN: Absolutely it is threatening. Their own base watches that. So when their own base feel like their vision, their power is crumbling, it will have effects on them, for sure.

[00:35:10] And what we're seeing in the country's unprecedented as it was mentioned. It's unprecedented to have a protest that is so unified in its voice, that it's diverse. It's geographically diverse throughout the country. We are seeing southern Tehran rising up for the first time. And it's the fourth week. We have never had a protest that has lasted this long since the revolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, a hacktivist group seemingly took credit for that move, saying that they fulfilled a promise at the request of the people of Iran.

Now, Mozambique may have taken back territory from ISIS-linked fighters, but the threat remains. How this regional conflict could impact the global energy market. We'll have that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Nigeria says a boating accident over the weekend has claimed the lives of 76 people. According to officials, the vessel capsized in a southeastern state, which has recently experienced heavy flooding.

Authorities have been searching for any missing passengers. And the president has ordered a review of safety protocols to prevent future tragedies.

Now, in southern Africa, Mozambique is contending with ISIS-linked fighters. With the help of Rwanda's military, the insurgents have been pushed back in some areas, splitting the group split into smaller groups.

CNN's David McKenzie spoke with residents returning to their homes among the unsteady peace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fight against ISIS didn't end; it shifted to ungoverned spaces like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCKENZIE (voice-over): We're embedded with Rwandan security forces in northern Mozambique, battling an ISIS-linked insurgency.

The tactics are familiar, if unspeakably brutal. To sow terror, burn schools, create chaos. They've displaced nearly a million people.

"Jihad in Mozambique as an extension of the Islamic state Jihad all of the world," he says in a message posted in August.

MCKENZIE: What was it like when they attacked?

MCKENZIE (voice-over): "They first came to this area to spread their propaganda," says Uzmani Dadi (ph). "They melted back into the forest and then later attacked."

In Mocimboa da Praia, a strategic port town, ISIS Mozambique arrived in force, held the territory for a year.

"When they find children like this," he says, "they took them back to the forest. And when they find men like this, they cut off their heads."

[00:40:06]

The cost of this insurgency is in blood. But also enormous treasure.

MCKENZIE: We're entering the $20 billion Efungi (ph) natural gas pump. This has the potential to take in at least 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. And in a time of global gas insecurity, this is a massive deal.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Industry analysts say Mozambique's offshore natural gas potential could eventually rival Russia.

As Europe phases out Russia's gas supply, because of the war in Ukraine, alternate sources are critical.

MCKENZIE: There isn't a soul anywhere here. It's completely empty.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): When the militants attacked Palmer (ph), energy giant Total declared force majeure. Mozambique, during the collapse of control, looked elsewhere.

Two thousand Rwandan soldiers and police, invited by the government, took the fight to ISIS. Later, regional forces joined in.

MCKENZIE: General, what is the chief consideration when dealing with an insurgency like this?

BRIG. GEN. RONALD RWIVANGA, RWANDA DEFENSE FORCE: The first thing you have to do is to defeat the insurgency in a military operation. But after that, you must try to win hearts and minds.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): It is still opaque why Rwanda answered the call. Aid workers and Western diplomats praise their professionalism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His name is Adi (ph). He's having a high-grade fever, as you see. See, 98.7.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The displaced are tentatively moving back, bringing what belongings they can.

"I heard that there is peace now, so I came home," says Benjamin Thomas.

That peace is fragile. Outside of Rwanda's zone of control, the killings, the beheadings continue.

Intelligence sources say the insurgents have split into smaller cells, now using improvised explosive devices. MCKENZIE: Is it not just fixing one area and pushing the problem

somewhere else?

RWIVANGA: No. You can say that it is natural for the enemy to escape to places that are less -- you know, with less pressure. But all we need to do is to maintain momentum. Follow our pursuit.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The stakes are extraordinary and shouldn't be ignored. The window to defeat ISIS in Mozambique, before the insurgency evolves, is likely short.

David McKenzie, CNN, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Some moments of joy for people in one Thailand town struggling with unbearable grief.

A three-year-old girl, nicknamed Emmy, is believed to be the only child to survive without injury at the massacre of that child day care center on Thursday.

She was sleeping with a blanket over her face when police say a former officer burst in an shot and stabbed at least 36 people, including 24 children.

The mother calls her survival a miracle.

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PANOMPAI SITHONG, MOTHER OF 3-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR (through translator): My kid is not a deep sleeper. I believe there must be some spiritual thing covering her eyes and ears.

I have no words. I'm in shock. I feel for other families when I visited them. But when I turn around and look at myself, I'm glad that my kid had survived. It's a mixed feeling of sadness and gratefulness.

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HOLMES: Emmy's parent says she seems to have no memory of the rampage. And that's a good thing.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. WORLD SPORT coming up next. I'll see you in about 15 minutes or so.

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