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Hundreds Dead in Syria and Turkey After Major Earthquake; Trial Begins for Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Leaders. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired February 06, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top story this hour.

A major earthquake has killed hundreds of people in Turkey and Syria. The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake was centered in southern Turkey. The magnitude 7.8 was so powerful that it could be felt in Lebanon as well as Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Let's go to meteorologist Karen Maginnis for more on this. Karen, obviously, Turkey in the region are no strangers to earthquakes because they lie on several fault lines. Talk us through the areas that have been affected and also how long these aftershocks could continue for.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I'll answer your second question first. And that is, it will last for weeks and months. Now, they'll gradually taper off both in frequency and in intensity. But over the last -- since the earthquake was reported just after 4:00 a.m. local time, in south central Turkey, there have been about 26 aftershocks. The strongest one was a 6.8 magnitude that occurred about 11 minutes after the main shock occurred.

Now, this is real time. These are some of the aftershocks. And this is an interesting trajectory, just kind of this geometry of where that energy was lying as it just kind of razed along that fault line. And this is one of the most active seismic areas in the entire world. That's because we've got a lot of tectonic plates moving around across this region. We've got a lot of rift zones. And this is illustrative of just how devastating these earthquakes could be.

Many of these earthquakes are not major earthquakes but this one, 7.8. It rivals one that occurred in northeastern Turkey, in 1939, there were 16, 17,000 fatalities associated with that. It was at the same magnitude. This earthquake was shallow, that means the effects are going to be felt much more severely, than if it were much farther down in the core of the earth.

All right, this is the vicinity of that earthquake, 7.8 magnitude. As I mentioned, they're going to feel the aftereffects. People were sleeping in their beds when they were jolted by this horrific earthquake that now is interrupting the power grid, the gas lines, the infrastructure. Homes collapsed, buildings collapsed, apartments collapsed, their livelihoods, their lives are in danger here. And now were looking at the weather situation. And the temperature

have been running 5 degrees below normal. This is the vicinity of where that earthquake took place. Rain but it is a cold rain. There's no place to be really except out in the street. Which is the preferred place because you don't know when one of those aftershocks is going to shake some of those buildings that are already compromised and they could collapse.

[04:35:00]

All right, here are these tectonic plates I was talking about. Essentially, these are constantly shifting. There are always earthquakes somewhere in this region being reported but this one happened to be a major earthquake and devastating. This is devastating, one that will be in the record books. We'll remember February 2023 for this massive violent earthquake that took place in southcentral Turkey that has interrupted so many people's lives but not just in Turkey, in Israel, in Jordan, in Syria, where so many displaced people are currently located. And the weather is just one of those aggravating factors that figurers into this forecast over the next several days and weeks, in fact. Back to you, guys.

NOBILO: Karen Maginnis, thank you.

FOSTER: Yes, and we're joined by Salma as well, who's been monitoring the situation in Syria. Because the images we are seeing are almost more shocking than the Turkish ones, at least in terms of the video we've been getting. But were getting less information from there.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Northwest Syria is really in a state of catastrophe, and it was already in a state of catastrophe. This is a country that's been devastated by over a decade of war. So what resources are really left behind here to have this earthquake.

President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has held an emergency meeting. He's instructed all his ministers, all provinces to put any resources they have, that means doctors, nurses, rescue staff, firefighters, anything they can to the affected area.

But again, the question is what's left? What do they have to use? Over a decade of war means that much of the infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Hospitals and clinics -- I know we're looking at images of those. Those had been targeted and get during the conflicts. So you're looking at overwhelmed hospitals where doctors are going to be struggling to get the medical aid that they need.

And then the very important thing to remember here, is that the government does not have full control of these areas. There's a huge portion of northwest Syria that is under rebel control. That means those families will be fully reliant on rebel forces, on volunteers to get that access and that help and pull people out from the rubble.

One of those groups, the White Helmets which has been pulling people out of the rubble now for years because of bombings, is pulling people of the rubble today, of course, because of earthquake. One of them made in appeal on social media and I just want you to take a look at a very brief sound bite here that we want to play for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very different task for us. We need help. We need the international community to do something to help us, to support us. North, we it now, it's a disaster area. We need help from everyone, to save our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: You hear the emotion in that man's voice. And he's appealing to the international community. But what's important to remember is the international community has very little access, considering the war, to get to these areas. And again, a traumatized country, a traumatized community. Syrians who woke up wondering if it was a bomb when it was really an earthquake. Really devastating.

FOSTER: Salma, thank you very much, indeed.

Joining us now live from Damascus, Syria is Rahaf Aboud. She's the head of communications for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. What are your teams telling you?

RAHAF ABOUD, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, SYRIAN ARAB RED CRESCENT: Hello, everyone. The Syrian/Arab Red Crescent volunteers are a very effective sights in Hama and Sarmada and responding the people in the building, collapsed as a result of the earthquakes that happened early today in Syria in the morning.

At 4:00 a.m., more than 500 volunteers, 27 ambulances to try to assist, to help people. At the moment, they transported 152 cases. And it's 24 in Sarmada, 55 in Hama, 51 in Aleppo, and unfortunately 26 deaths. So far, Syrian ministry of health has registered 639 injuries. And in ruins until now. And we are trying to help through manpower. And unfortunately, we have very bad weather and we have been working and transferring wounded and injured people to the health facilities.

FOSTER: And what sort of help are you getting there? I mean, have you got the facilities you need or have they all been damaged as well?

ABOUD: We have first aid. We've been providing primary health care. And if people need surgeries, we are transferring them to our hospitals. We are doing our best to help everyone.

NOBILO: And how far -- I'm sorry, please continue.

ABOUD: Sorry. And the response is still going until now.

NOBILO: And how far is the rescue effort complicated by the areas that are under government control their versus areas of Syria which are under rebel control?

[04:40:00]

ABOUD: As you know, the Syrian rescue exists in all government, so we have reach to all of the place. And as you see, the earthquake happened in quarter of a million to now. We hope that it would stop here, and let's see, maybe about -- maybe tomorrow morning, we receive, and we are grateful for all of the phone calls and aides that we've received from our partner national society that have been with you since the beginning of the day. We have the Emirates, the Iraqi, we have the Egyptian, the (INAUDIBLE) SRC and they promised us to send emergency assistance.

FOSTER: OK, Rahaf Aboud, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Incredible amount of work needs to be done there doesn't it.

ABOUD: Actually, I have -- allow me, I have a message I want to give it to the world through CNN, if that's OK.

FOSTER: Yes.

ABOUD: On behalf of Khaled Hboubati, president of Syrian Arab Red Crescent to call for the support of the European Union, United Nations and the international community in response to the devastating earthquake that took place in Syria this morning. We kindly request that you end an U.N. (INAUDIBLE) but in site you can provide the necessary resources and support including shelter, food and medical care and other essential supplies and we hope that the U.N. will respond to this call of support to alleviate the suffering and those who have been impacted by this earthquake through first line intervention. Thank you all.

FOSTER: Yes, I mean we're hearing. Thank you very much indeed for bringing us that. We're hearing the same from Turkey, aren't they. They're desperate for foreign support. But then governments are saying, they will work out exactly what will they can offer specifically, because they don't want to send all the same sort of thing.

NOBILO: Exactly, and unfortunately, because the region has had experience of quakes in the past there are some hubs in place. But that intelligent coordination in order to make the rescue effort effective and to use those resources is key.

Still ahead on the program, Hong Kong's harsh national security law will soon be used to determine the fate of dozens of pro-democracy leaders. We'll have the latest on the trial. Along with more on the earthquake in Turkey and the fallout in Turkey and Syria, as our breaking news coverage continues.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: More on the breaking news that we're following out of Turkey and Syria. A deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake striking southern Turkey just hours ago, sending strong aftershocks through Syria as well. More than 380 deaths have been reported by Syrian state TV. More than 280 so far by officials in Turkey. The U.S. that estimates the death toll will most likely exceed 1,000 lives lost. We'll continue to bring you all of the developments as they come into us. NOBILO: Pro-democracy leaders are standing trial in Hong Kong after

being charged under the regions controversial national security law more than two years ago.

FOSTER: The trial is linked to arrest of 47 people in early 2021 charged with participating in an unofficial election the previous year. The trial is expected to last up to three months.

NOBILO: The national security law was imposed by Beijing in 2020 amid months of pro-democracy protests challenging China's influence in Hong Kong. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now from Hong Kong with the very latest. Kristie, what is the population most concerned about as they watch these trials happen?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, first some context here. You know, this case, Bianca, concerns the Hong Kong 47 which is a group of 47 pro-democracy activists who have been charged with the conspiracy to commit subversion. Which is a very serious crime here under the international security law, in fact, it's punishable by up to life in prison. And this trial, a landmark trial, it begins today.

This is the largest national security trial to take place here in the territory since Beijing imposed that sweeping legislation in the wake of the 2019 anti-government Hong Kong protests. And among the 47 who are on trial, you have very prominent figures like Joshua Wong, as well as the former law professor Benny Tai, a former opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo. They represent a group that had already pleaded guilty.

But when 16 other defendants are pleading not guilty, including a former journalist, her name Gwyneth Ho. They are accused of organizing and participating in an unofficial primary vote that took place in July of 2020. Now Hong Kong had hosted a similar event before without any incident in 2018, but when this vote took place, it provoked the ire of China's top representative in here in Hong Kong, the Beijing liaison office. In fact they said that this event -- you're seeing pictures of it when it took place in 2020 -- contravened the national security law.

Critics say that the law is being used to you crush dissent. To crush and dismantle the opposition here in the territory. I will show you, this recent statement is posted by Human Rights Watch, it says, Maya Wany saying this.

Hong Kong's biggest national security case is wrapped in legal language, but it's just part of the Chinese government's relentless efforts to smother Hong Kong's democracy movement. The very real threat of life in prison for peaceful activism shows Beijing's other contempt for both democratic political processes and the rule of law, unquote.

And Bianca and Max, this is indeed a landmark trial it's expected to run for last at least 90 days but its implications will last for decades. Back to you.

FOSTER: What sort of coverage do you think this will get across China?

STOUT: It's getting plenty of coverage here in Hong Kong. And in fact there have been protests here in Hong Kong, a very small group of protesters gathered earlier today in front of the courtroom. And they were holding signs. One of them that read according to my notes "the crackdown is shameless." There is coverage, but of course, the local press here, they're on alert. Because they don't want to be accused of breaching the national security law themselves.

But a lot of people here in the territory, and, of course, a lot of people from Hong Kong, have immigrated overseas, closely watching events here to figure out what this means for the future of Hong Kong. Again, critics say that the national security law has been weaponized to crush dissent. It's been able to dismantle a once vibrant civil society here in Hong Kong. While the Hong Kong government, Chinese authorities, they continue to dispute that and say that the national security law was necessary to restore order and bring back stability to Hong Kong especially after what happened in 2019. Back to you.

NOBILO: Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, thank you.

[04:50:00]

FOSTER: Dozens of Iraqis gathered in Baghdad on Sunday to protest against the so-called honor killing of a 22-year-old Iraqi woman by her father. Tiba al-Ali lived in Istanbul with her Syrian boyfriend where she had a YouTube channel with than 20,000 subscribers. They were not married which is considered a major shame in Iraq and dishonorable for her family. She returned to Iraq last month where her father allegedly strangled her. He subsequently turned himself in to the police.

NOBILO: Still ahead, the latest on the rescue efforts in Turkey and in neighboring Syria after a powerful and deadly earthquake shook the region.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Updating you on our breaking story. Almost 700 people now have been killed and thousands injured in Turkey and Syria, after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in a century. It struck southern Turkey a few hours ago with a magnitude of 7.8, according to the U.S. Geological Service. At least 18 aftershocks with a magnitude of over four have been recorded since that initial quake. Do stay with us throughout the day for continuing coverage and the very latest on that story.

[04:55:00]

NOBILO: Residents near on a train derailment in Ohio have been told they could be arrested if they refuse to leave their homes. On Sunday evening, Governor Mike DeWine asked people to get away from the burning railcars, as a fear that the train could explode and spread deadly shrapnel. A sudden release of dangerous gas is also a possibility. Police estimate around 500 people are still waiting it out at home in the town of east Palestine, Ohio. The U.S. Coast Guard swooped in to save a man in a stolen boat off the

Oregon coat. You're watching amazing footage of Coast Guard choppers responding after the boat capsized. The lucky boater was hauled aboard a helicopter by a rescue diver.

FOSTER: But here's where the story gets really fishy. It turns out the boat was a stolen yacht. The guy who was plucked from the water was arrested. The same guy was also wanted for leaving a dead fish at the house featured in the 1985s classic "The Goonies." I don't mean to laugh, but there's a lot going on there. Complex and a lot to investigate by authorities.

NOBILO: There certainly is.

FOSTER: Thanks for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: And I'm Bianca Nobilo. "EARLY START" is up next right here on CNN.

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