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Morocco Earthquake Left Over 2,000 People Dead; Countries Offer Assistance to Morocco In The Aftermath Of Devastating Earthquake; Interview With International Federation Of Red Cross And Red Crescent Global Director Of Operations Caroline Holt; Hurricane Lee, A Category 2 Storm, May Regain Strength; Biden To Travel To Vietnam For One Day Of Talks; Ukraine Criticizes G20's Final Declaration As Insufficient; Joint Declaration "Nothing To Be Proud Of" Criticized By Ukraine; Russia's War In Ukraine; Putin Encourages Voters To Trust Online Voting; Coco Gauff Wins U.S. Open; In Iowa, Trump And DeSantis Court Football Fans; Hosting Of The G20 Summit By India Regarded As Significant Achievement; Manhunt Ends For Escaped Terrorism Suspect In The U.K.; Manhunt For Escaped Convicted Killer; American Caver Trapped In Turkey. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired September 10, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:22]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers watching from here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.

And we begin in Morocco. A nation in shock and grief after being ravaged by its deadliest earthquake in decades. More than 2,000 people have died since the disaster struck Friday night, and many of the victims are already being laid to rest. There are also fears that the death toll will continue to rise as emergency crews dig through the rubble of collapsed buildings. But many are still holding out hope that they will find people alive under all of that debris.

Those who survived are now coping with trauma. Many sleeping outdoors after losing their homes. Others who still have a place to live are hesitant to return home. As you can understand, their worry that there could be aftershocks, and that their homes could once again collapse.

Now, Morocco's king has instructed officials to set up an interministerial commission to provide much-needed relief. We get more details now from CNN's Sam Kiley in Marrakesh.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Morocco's King Mohammed has declared three days of national mourning here in Marrakesh, and that is because his country has been completely devastated by an extraordinary earthquake, totally unexpected in cities like this, Marrakesh. This has been the scene here in the Medina, the most ancient part of this ancient city. Here, a building clearly ripped away by this earthquake. But the scenes have been even worse in the interior of the country where one woman who was trapped for some 12 hours was pulled from rubble in a remote village. Now, there are 13 people dead here in Marrakesh. Across the country, more than 1,300 people have died. And the authorities here expect those numbers to climb with some rapidity.

Their problem though is getting out into the areas that are worst affected. The epicenter is about 45 miles south of Marrakesh, but the areas that have been really badly devastated, according to the local authorities, have been villages in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. These are villages that aerial photographs have already showed have been completely flattened with one or two houses remaining, looking as if they've been built on scree. Now, that scree, that rubble was once villages, and it's in those areas where the authorities are most concerned that the numbers of casualties, of the dead and injured will climb.

But of course, the other problem for the authorities is that getting to these locations is really going to be very, very difficult because they're saying large numbers of the roads, the communication networks have been severed by this earthquake, which is completely unanticipated. No locals I've spoken to here in Marrakesh can remember any history of earthquakes here. Elsewhere in the country, yes. But here, they say they've never experienced, no tell, no history, they say, of any kind of earthquake.

But this is the result. Bedsteads, bedding, carpets left hanging over the edge of walls that have been utterly sliced away as this ancient city has been rebuilt over the last few decades. Enormous amount of effort has been put into the reconstruction of Marrakesh, particularly here in the Medina, one of the prides of Morocco. Very much a tourist destination, but also a location of one of the king's major palaces. It is very much the cultural center for many Moroccans, and this is what this latest earthquake has done.

Sam Kiley, CNN, in Marrakesh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: So now, offers of assistance are, of course, pouring into Morocco from all over the world. Germany is offering rescue teams, complete with sniffer dogs to help victims. France has activated local government funds, its embassy has opened a crisis center, and it's working with Moroccan authorities to determine the best ways to help. The UAE is also offering a humanitarian aid and to establish an air bridge to help deliver crucially needed supplies.

We remember, we heard about all those roads that are cut off on the foothills there. And of -- also, Algeria, this is significant, which severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021 has in fact agreed to open its air sprays -- airspace, pardon me, to aid flights.

And we are joined now by the director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Caroline Holt comes to us now from Geneva, Switzerland. And welcome to the program. I'm sure you've been coordinating a lot over the last few hours.

[02:05:00]

Tell us how your organization is mobilizing. And crucially here, what are the priorities for these rescue efforts given everything you have to do in front of you?

CAROLINE HOLT, GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT: Well, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. Yes, it's been a very busy last few hours, as you can imagine here, for everybody, no doubt, in the international aid world. But I speak to you representing the federation, the IFRC, which is International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Our partner, the Moroccan Red Crescent, is on the ground and extremely active. Actually, yesterday, we were able to release a million U.S. dollars to the Moroccan Red Crescent just to support them on their moving forward to address those emergency needs. Basically, to allow them some space to start working already.

We're seeing a lot of traumas in its very early days. I cannot stress that enough. We just entered the second full day, really, of the response here, and that window is still very, very much about search and rescue. We know that there are people, unfortunately, still trapped under the rubble, and the key here is to get to those people in good time. We also know that a lot of people have survived this, of course. And they've survived but unfortunately with injuries.

So, really making sure that we take care of the survivors in a meaningful way. That we're able to triage. We're able to identify those worst impacted. There were some serious head injuries, some serious broken bones. And making sure that those people receive the medical care that they can. The Moroccan -- sorry.

NEWTON: So, you know, you touched on a very important point there. And we have been hearing, of course, that the epicenter was in this mountainous region. What will it take to get help to those people? I mean, look, we saw authorities there in Morocco trying to remove barriers on these roads. We, of course, have even heard stories of survivors that survived the earthquake, were pulled the rubble but right now medical help cannot get to them. What can you do in the coming hours to make sure that that situation changes?

HOLT: That's exactly the point as well. The fact that this also -- the epicenter was in such a remote area means that access to those people is extremely difficult. We will need to get heavy machinery to make sure that the roads are clear, to make sure that the rubble is clear, and really to make sure that we're able to access.

The -- it's a very unclear picture right now in those remote areas, so we can only, unfortunately, expect that the numbers will continue to rise in terms of those impacted. But reaching those people in the first place is critical. At a time like this with an earthquake is very common for roads and rail connections to be impacted for communications, for electricity, for water. Some of these things are really, really important, of course, as you can imagine. And getting access to those people in the first place will be key.

NEWTON: Yes, and you -- certainly, the scope of the aid that is needed in the coming days, weeks, and months, of course, is extraordinary. Given though what is happening in the here and now, we know that there have been some aftershocks. Thankfully not too many that have been felt so much in places like Marrakesh. But we could be expecting dozens more in the weeks to come. I know you have a lot of experience in this. How difficult is it for these populations to go through those aftershocks while they're still just trying to survive, right, get the basics?

HOLT: You make a good point. It's extremely difficult not only because maybe those buildings that survived the initial impacts have now been stabilized. And those aftershocks will only serve to destabilize them further. But the mental health trauma of this cannot be underestimated. And for those communities that have been impacted by that initial impact, they will continue to relive that with every aftershock. It will create fear and further confusion. And no doubt more chaos amongst those communities.

Trying to keep people in a safe space and away from those buildings that may well be impacted and we may still see buildings continue to fall as those aftershocks happen. But keeping people away and keeping people safe, even while the search and rescue window must carry on or that search and rescue effort must carry on. You can imagine it's an extremely delicate tight rope that the emergency workers have to walk in order to make sure they get access to people as quickly as possible that are trapped. But also, that they don't expose themselves to further danger from the aftershocks.

NEWTON: And so, in dealing with the here and now in the next few hours, what are you in need of? I mean, is air support more important in those regions right now? Is it the actual rescue teams that will come in? The manpower?

HOLT: Yes, exactly. The -- we're still waiting, of course, for the Moroccan government to make further decisions around the need for international support. But right now, the only way to access some of those remote villages will be through helicopters and will be through air support. There are no doubt teams already walking and trying to walk and reach those remote communities as well. But of course, you can only do so much if you are not able to get vehicles through. So, that will be a real priority.

[02:10:00]

We also know that in times like this, and as you suggest, fortunately or unfortunately, we have huge experience in dealing with earthquake disasters. Shelter, clean and safe water, and food is absolutely key. As well as, as I mentioned already, that psychosocial support to really help people to deal with that ongoing trauma.

NEWTON: Well, as you say, we are not even 30 hours into this tragedy at this point. So much aid is needed. And right now, rescue efforts in the areas continue. Caroline Holt for us from Geneva, Switzerland, really appreciate the update.

HOLT: Thank you very much.

NEWTON: Now, for more information about how you can help victims of the Morocco earthquake go to cnn.com/impact.

Hurricane Lee is still churning in the Atlantic Ocean with sustained winds of 105 miles per hour or 165 kilometers an hour. That's according to the latest advisory. You see the storm there, it's a category 2 right now, but the National Hurricane Center says it will likely restrengthen in the coming days. And it's expected to move well north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. That is good news. But in the next several days, those areas and other Caribbean Islands can expect dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents.

Forecast have the storm making a hard turn to the north in the coming days. And, you know, it's not clear where or even if it will make landfall. But they say it will create hazardous conditions along the east coast of the United States.

U.S. President Joe Biden is on his way to Vietnam right now, having wrapped his participation in the G20 Summit in India. Earlier, he and other G20 leaders paid their respects at the memorial in New Delhi for Mahama Gandhi. Now, the leaders took part in a wreath laying ceremony at that site.

Meantime, the just concluded G20 meeting managed to produce a final declaration after -- yes, a lot of diplomatic wrangling. But Ukraine, obviously, saying they're not happy with the language regarding the war. Saying, it felt far short of actually condemning Russia's aggressions.

CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us now live from New Delhi. I know you have been following all these negotiations carefully. The G20 statement, you know, it's making more headlines for what it doesn't do than anything it substantively does. What are Biden's official saying behind the scenes about this declaration?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, they are pleased with the statement. And as you said, it was not a foregone conclusion coming into the summit that the leaders would be able to agree to any language on Ukraine. Because remember this is the block that includes Russia, the perpetrator of the war, but also countries like Brazil and South Africa who have not taken a firm stance against the invasion. And also, India, the summit's host, which is still trying to maintain close ties with Moscow. And these leaders' statements tend to reflect the proclivities of the host nation.

And so, the statement, in and of itself, was an accomplishment. It came after, you know, hundreds of hours of talks. 15 different drafts. As you said, it doesn't mention Russia by name. It doesn't explicitly condemn its invasion of Ukraine. It talks about the suffering of the Ukrainians, the importance of maintaining territorial integrity, the importance of not using nuclear weapons. But it's certainly is a lot softer than a lot of the nations who are here would have put out themselves, including the United States. But President Biden's aides do say that this is a consequential statement, that was the word used by the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. And they do note that this statement included all kinds of other provisions. Things like debt restructuring for the developing world. Admitting the African Union to the G20 for the first time.

And so, certainly, there was plenty that they were looking at and that they feel that they accomplished. But the statement still, you know, represents the divides that are in this G20. And as the summit concludes, those fractures are no less apparent. You know, it was apparent coming in, the absence of the Chinese and Russian leaders really showing you that this block is a fractured moment. As President Biden departs, he was able to secure this language, these commitments from the nations that are here, but it's not necessarily the strength of condemnation of Russia's war that many people were hoping for, including the Ukrainians. Paula.

NEWTON: Absolutely. And the quote from them, of course, is, this is nothing to be proud of. I want to move on as Biden has moved on right now from India. He's now going to Vietnam. But this trip is well can't escape the controversy of that Russian invasion. What are the president's advisers now saying about "The New York Times" report that Vietnam is, perhaps, secretly planning to buy weapons from Russia, and that would, of course, violate sanctions?

[02:15:00]

LIPTAK: Yes, certainly. And I don't know that it is a surprise just given that Vietnam and Russia have a long-standing relationship. Vietnam has long relied on Moscow as an arms supplier. I am told by a senior administration official that the U.S. will announce its own steps on Monday to help Vietnam diversify its arms supply chain, it's procurement. And so, that's something to watch.

President Biden's goals in Hanoi is, really, to elevate the U.S.- Vietnam relationship. Currently, the U.S. and Vietnam are, sort of, at the lowest level of diplomatic ties on the Vietnamese scale, I guess you could say. They are elevating it to the very top level of the Vietnamese system. And it's interesting because the other two countries at that top level are China and Russia.

And certainly, President Biden hopes to act as a counterweight to those nations on his visit. The U.S. acknowledges that they will not be able to convince the Vietnamese to totally sever ties with those countries. They aren't asking them to, necessarily. But they do want to position the United States as an alternative to those countries, particularly as China steps up its economic aggressions, its military aggressions in Asia.

And Vietnam is only one country that the president is doing this with. He is doing it here in India as well. He's doing it in the Philippines, in a more traditional American allies in East Asia, Japan and South Korea. And so, certainly, this is an important visit for the president as he looks to step up the American footprint to this region. Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, it certainly sets out a more ambitious timetable and schedule and character of his Indo-Pacific strategy should that come to fruition. Kevin Liptak for us in New Delhi, really appreciate your insights.

Now, as we were just mentioning, Ukraine blasted the G20 declaration. Saying, the group had nothing to be proud of because it did not even reference Ukraine. Now, this comes as Ukraine continues to push forward in their southern offensive, counteroffensive. CNN's Melissa Bell is in Zaporizhzhia with the latest for us.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyiv has condemned the final declaration coming out of New Delhi at the G20 Leaders' Summit, saying that it goes nowhere near far enough. It had been a difficult compromise to reach, given that both Russia and China needed to be on board. In the end, a spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry said that the final language, which reflected the fact that there were different views and assessments within the G20 about the war in Ukraine should have condemned far more strongly Russia's war of aggression, he said, and more strongly urge for it to come to an end.

This, as the counteroffensive continues here in the Zaporizhzhia region to make very slow progress. We've been following some of the artilleries efforts as it seeks to inch forward under constant drone fire and replies from Russian artillery positions. Still, the Ukrainian position is that the counteroffensive is making slow but steady progress as it seeks to head towards Tokmak on one hand and ultimately Melitopol further south.

This, as in the occupied regions, the voting has been taking place. Voting has been happening around the Russian federation, but also in those four regions that are now occupied by Moscow. Voting that's been described by Kyiv as a sham with Ukraine urging Ukrainian citizens not to take part.

Melissa Bell, CNN, in Zaporizhzhia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to make voters believe the elections are legitimate. He's urging them to take part and have faith in online voting. He says that practice has become more popular, in his words. Sunday is in fact the last day of voting in Russia and the occupied territories in Ukraine. Voters have the option to cast their ballots online, or vote at home, or at the polling station.

Still to come for us, it's been years in the making. But American Coco Gauff is now a Grand Slam champion. She took the tennis world by storm. And it was loud, let me tell you. She won the U.S. Open. That's ahead.

Plus, Donald Trump courts voters in Iowa at the largest college football game in the state. Those details ahead.

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[02:23:09]

NEWTON: American tennis fans, I think many around the world, are celebrating Coco Gauff's first career Grand Slam, almost as much as she is. The 19-year-old has been blossoming on the courts for several years. But on Saturday, she rallied after losing the opening set to become a U.S. Open champion. Now, the crowd seemed to lift her game with chants of, let's go, Coco. It has a ring to it, doesn't it?

She defeated number two ranked Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium. She's become the first American teenager to win the U.S. Open since you -- guessed it -- Serena Williams in 1999. Gauff is set to move up to number three in the WTA singles rankings. And despite reaching the final, Sabalenka becomes world number one.

Now, we go to Iowa, where there was a political showdown at the state's largest football rivalry. Several Republican candidates, including Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis showed up to court voters, addressing them at a tailgate party. Former Arkansas Governor and presidential hopeful Asa Hutchison said the country needs a new direction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASA HUTCHINSON, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will the speak the truth this election that America needs to move in a different direction. And we don't need a Trump-like either. We don't need someone that wants to have Trump 2.0 leading this country or some acolyte of his.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Kyung Lah has more now from Iowa.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here in Ames, Iowa, the day all about college football. The big rivalry game between Iowa State and University of Iowa. But for the presidential candidates running in this first of the nation caucus state, it is for them a political opportunity. Both Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis were at this game. Both sat inside the stadium. DeSantis sitting with the crowd. Sitting beside Iowa's popular Republican Governor and Donald Trump sat in a box, a stadium box.

[02:25:00]

I want you to listen as what the crowd was saying. How they looked as the former president left the stadium.

CROWD: USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. LAH: You can hear the chanting. You can hear the loud applause. This is imagery that the Trump campaign certainly wants Iowa voters to see. Now, ahead of all of this, going inside the stadium, both DeSantis and Trump were tailgating. Trump stopped at a tailgating party hosted by a fraternity. We saw him flipping burgers, signing footballs, even tossing some of those footballs into the crowd.

Ron DeSantis also was tailgating. But he focused his comments on the political. Saying that he's visited the State of Iowa more times than Trump, far more times, a total of eight visits. And that he has visited more than half of Iowa's 99 counties.

REP. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I'm actually starting to hear a lot of people saying, because you're showing up, I'm supporting you. Because that's the way you've got to do it. Iowans don't want the campaign to be about the past or about the candidates' issues. They want it to be about their future and the future of this country. And that's what I represent.

LAH: More than 60,000 were at this game today. A game, again, focused on football. A lot of students say they sure did enjoy the spectacle of it, but it was really the game that was their emphasis. And as far as the end score, Iowa topping Iowa State, 20 to 13.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Ames, Iowa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And despite multiple indictments, Donald Trump was greeted, as you just saw there, with those incredible cheers in the crowd in Iowa. CNN's Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein tells us the former president is using his indictments to his advantage to sway voters.

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RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: In the confines of the Republican primary, Donald Trump has succeeded in convincing the vast majority of Republican voters to see the indictments the way he wants to see him, which is an attack on them through him. So, whatever institution, the deep state, liberal elites, they are trying to marginalize and silence you, and they are doing that by going after me.

And of course, that's an extension of his core message from the beginning. From the time he came down the escalator in 2015. That there are all of these forces in society that are trying to marginalize you, white conservative Christian, usually non-urban American. And I am your champion. And now of course, he says, I am your retribution.

That has proven a powerful argument within a -- within the Republican context. But, you know, there are yellow and even red lights out there in terms of how the broader electorate is responding to that. It's not necessarily a silver bullet that eliminates all other problems that Joe Biden faces by any means because those are real, and I think becoming more visible as the months go on. But the outside of the Republican electorate, there are signs that voters are, in fact, more concerned about this than the people you saw chanting as they left the stadium.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: That was our Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein.

Still ahead for us, much more on the devastating earthquake in Morocco. How authorities are responding to the disaster and what the country needs to recover.

Plus, President Biden now on his way to Vietnam after the G20 Summit. We will explain what came out of the meeting and what did not. A live report from New Delhi is next.

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[02:31:50]

NEWTON: And welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Paula Newton. You are watching "CNN Newsroom".

Now, more on our top story this hour. Authorities in Morocco say more than 2,000 people have been killed in the deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades. The tremor has ravaged remote villages in the foothills of the high Atlas Mountains. Survivors say homes and buildings in the area have been completely flattened, leaving them displaced. Others, who still have a place to live are hesitant, of course, to go back indoors, fearing they -- their homes could be brought down by another earthquake or any kind of even moderate aftershocks in the area. Many people now are also sleeping outside with their families, fearing for their safety.

The U.S. geological survey says the powerful quake struck at a relatively shallow death -- depth. And that, in fact, does make it more destructive. And among the factors now at play, as rescues are underway, the number and intensity of those aftershocks I was talking about, and then the weather.

CNN's Meteorologist Jennifer Gray breaks it all down for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, the earthquake in Morocco, magnitude 6.8 occurred 11:11 local time Friday night. The depth was around 11 miles, which may seem very, very deep. But actually, when you are talking about geological standards, it is actually a pretty shallow quake, meaning you're going to feel it more. So, seven -- 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later, it was felt in Algeria, as well as Portugal. So, it felt very far away, and it's pretty rare. Since 1900, only nine earthquakes of magnitude five or higher have occurred.

So, a lot of people felt very strong shaking, almost 3 million people felt strong shaking, and almost half a million people felt either very strong to severe shaking with this particular earthquake. So, aftershocks of 5. 8, there's normally an average of one. Could see up to 100 earthquakes at a magnitude of 3.8 or greater in the coming days and even weeks after the initial quake. So, that's significant especially because a lot of the buildings, the structures are already compromised from the initial quake.

And so, any additional quakes could cause further damage and that's the big fear. Another thing to consider is the weather moving forward with recovery efforts. It's going to be brutally hot over the next couple of days. It is going to stay dry but high temperatures are going to be in the low 90s with lows in the mid-60s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: And thanks to Jennifer. Stephanie Busari is CNN's Senior Editor for Africa, and she joins us now live from Lagos, Nigeria. I know you've been following the story closely in terms of aid that's been rushing to Morocco, of course, that's dependent on Morocco actually requesting the aid. But they also need to organize everything. Logistically, this is not an easy thing to do, is it?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA: It really isn't, Paula. It's also hampered but the fact that this earthquake happened in the high Atlas Mountains, which have very remote mountain villages.

[02:35:00]

And people telling CNN that the roads -- some of the roads to these remote places are blocked by debris from fallen buildings. So, that is also hampering rescue efforts. And it's a race against time, really, as the Moroccan authorities try to reach people trapped under their homes.

And the government has declared three days of national mourning. And officials say, they have briefed King Mohammed VI that they have been supplying drinking water to affected areas, distributing food kits, tents, blankets to disaster victims. You know, the search and rescue operation and the humanitarian efforts to those who are homeless, and don't have anywhere to sleep are very much ongoing.

And as you say, aid offers pouring in from around the world. The U.N. says, it has offered search and rescue support and humanitarian aid to the Moroccan authorities. And they are confident that the government of Morocco will respond quickly to these offers of support. The World Bank has also pledged its support, as well as global leaders, who many have said how devastating this earthquake is.

And so, it's a question of, really, waiting to see the response from the Moroccan authorities, who seem to be kind of in control of the situation right now. But people are complaining that they are stuck and they're waiting for rescuers to reach them. We have been speaking to some of those people. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are living in a crisis situation. We ask that King Mohammed VI intervenes and sends us some help. Because we are living through a traumatizing situation. The people don't have electricity. They have nothing to eat or drink, no bread, nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUSARI: So, Paula, one of the affected cities is also Marrakesh, which is the largest city near the center of the earthquake, and has -- it's a major tourist attraction. Many tourists trapped outside homes, outside buildings that have collapsed, and sleeping on the streets, currently. Paula.

NEWTON: As we continue to see the video there of so many people, too terrified to go back to their homes even if they are intact. Stephanie Busari, really appreciate the update.

Now, Benjamin Brown is a CNN researcher who joins us now on the phone from Marrakesh. Benjamin, you were in the middle of this terrifying earthquake, and you've been there to see the aftermath. I mean, you certainly described the shock and the terror, and so many people who were sleeping on the streets at night. This is now, essentially -- we're about -- almost 30 hours from this earthquake. I mean, how have people been coping?

BENJAMIN BROWN, CNN RESEARCHER: Yes, many people will be waking up this morning, the sun has just risen in Marrakesh, on the streets for a second morning in a row now. We saw parks, plaza, even parking lots in the city have been made into makeshift campsites. Obviously, that's on the one hand because people are unable to enter their homes due to destruction or fear of further destruction.

But it's also -- many people I spoke to say they are still worried of potential aftershocks and are still just scared to go home. It's quiet in the streets at the minute still and that's similar to yesterday. Many people have left the city. People I spoke to said that they were heading to the coast, to Casablanca or Rabat. There was a steady outflow yesterday. There was a big, big rush the night before, with people cramming into cars, onto motorbikes, and to buses, just trying to leave the city yesterday. And more steady flow into buses, many families with suitcases packed on the streets.

But today, it's just a quiet morning in Marrakesh, so far. There are still some tourists in town. But much of this old town of Marrakesh, the famous alleyway, the famous Medina and the walls of the city now resembling a ghost town. Much of it also blocked off by the government, but also by local residents for fear, obviously, of the destruction. Rubble in the street is also a concern that there may be live wires. So, that's just stive of further danger in the old streets of Marrakesh.

NEWTON: Likely good that many people have left, of course. It does relieve the burden of people who are in Marrakesh and in those outlying areas to try to get things like food, water, power. Has -- as we are speaking to you, we can see that it is quiet. We are looking at live pictures right now out of Marrakesh, and we can see that it is a very, very quiet morning. What seemed to be the priorities for authorities there right now?

BROWN: The main priority is giving medical assistance at the minute to those coming from outside of Marrakesh. I spent much of yesterday at emergency department at one of -- the main hospital in Marrakesh.

[02:40:00]

And what was quite visible there is that the main focus here of the rescue efforts, if you will, in the city, they're no longer treating residents of Marrakesh itself, but bringing in the people from the rural, mountainous regions who have just been freed by the rubble, were being freed by rubble into yesterday, and then transported some of them multiple hours (ph) into Marrakesh.

So, Marrakesh now becoming -- or the hospitals in Marrakesh now becoming somewhat of a hub for the operation in the surrounding area, it seems. But in terms of what is happening on the ground here, obviously, there's some food being provided to those sleeping on the streets. But much of it seems to be a second damage in the old city, and blocking off those places which are affected.

NEWTON: Yes, which would seem a priority at this point, just to try and get the city back to some sense of normalcy. And we do take note of the fact that the hospital now getting some of the injured from the outlying areas. Benjamin Brown for us, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

The U.S. President, Joe Biden, is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam in the coming hours during his 24 hours in Hanoi. He'll hold a series of high-level talks. Earlier, he and other G20 leaders paid their respects at the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi. Taking part in a wreath laying ceremony. You see him there. It is, of course, a revered site that is often visited by foreign dignitaries.

As for the just concluded G20 meeting, it did manage to produce a final declaration, but only after the normal diplomatic wrangling, although, this time this involved, of course, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And Ukraine was not happy about this declaration. It said the G20's language regarding the war fell far short of condemning Russia's aggression.

CNN's Vedika Sud joins us now from New Delhi. And you have been following all of it. I mean, I'm interested to hear from you in terms of Prime Minister Modi. He will, of course, interpret this as a successful meeting. But by what measure? What did it achieve as far as he is concerned?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Oh, absolutely. He's called it historical already. He said that the adoption of New Delhi leaders' resolution is a big step forward. And, of course, he will be taking credit for this, along with the entire team that's worked for months to get to this point. However, I just want to even bring to you a notice how the officials have been speaking about this.

A lot of information is now emerging about the effort that has gone in over the months, Paula, to get to this point. The G20 Sherpa from India, Amitabh Kant, has said, and I'm going to quote him here. He said, "The most complex part of the entire G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paragraphs." And here he talks, of course, about Russia-Ukraine. "This is done over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, and 15 drafts."

I think this itself encapsulates the hard work that has really gone on behind the scenes to get to the table with the different stakeholders of the G20 Summit and get them to sign off on that declaration. Yes, it's watered down. It's more diluted than this time. But most of the G20 member countries took last year in the Bali Summit.

But if you look at it from Narendra Modi's point of view, he is known to be very close to Russia. He's also known to be very close to the U.S. So, the balancing act, the tightrope walk continues for the Indian prime minister. And it's pretty evident to everyone at signing off on this declaration.

But yet, again there has been disappointment, at least for Ukraine, when it comes to this. You were talking about their statement. I just want to very quickly read out what the spokesperson of the foreign ministry there had to say. And I'm going to quote here, "Ukraine is grateful to its partners who tried to include strong wording in the text. At the same time, the G20 has nothing to be proud of in the part about Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Obviously, the participation of the Ukrainian side would have allowed the participants to better understand the situation."

Now, it's important to note here that India did not invite Zelenskyy for the G20 Summit, either in person or to address that bloc virtually. Back to you.

NEWTON: Vedika Sud in New Delhi, we thank you.

And up next for us, the end of the road for an escaped terrorism suspect in England. The latest on the manhunt which put London on high alert for days.

And an update from Pennsylvania and the search for a convicted killer there who escaped from a prison in Philadelphia. Stay with us.

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NEWTON: In England, the manhunt for that terrorism suspect who escaped from a prison in London is now over. The city's metropolitan police force say they've caught and arrested Daniel Khalife. He's been on the run since Wednesday when he broke out of Wandsworth Prison. From the G20 Summit in India, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his gratitude.

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RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I'm very pleased with the news and my thanks to the police officers for their fantastic work over the past couple of days, but also to the public who came forward with an enormous number of leads to help the police in their inquiries. It's good news that we've -- we captured the person concerned. As people already know, the justice secretary has initiated an inquiry into the circumstances of his escape, and that work will continue. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: So, the inquiry that the prime minister was talking will look into how Khalife escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery van while dressed as a chef.

Now, to the U.S. State of Pennsylvania, authorities are still locked in on their manhunt for an escape convicted killer. The inmate crab walked up a wall, got through razor wire, and took off from a prison near Philadelphia more than a week ago now.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has the latest on that manhunt.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, since the August 31st escape of Danelo Cavalcante, authorities here in the State of Pennsylvania have confirmed sightings almost on a regular basis. One of the most recent ones to happen was on Friday afternoon as the 34-year-old convicted killer was spotted, according to authorities, inside of the search perimeter here in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. That is promising for authorities as it tells them or at least suggests to them that this individual is potentially still inside of that area that has been locked down and has been searched now for well over a week and a half.

On Saturday, the Pennsylvania State Police also updated their search perimeter. Now, most of it actually covers some botanical gardens or at least it includes some botanical gardens that on any other weekend would normally be packed with families. But that facility which is about a thousand acres of gardens and meadows is actually been closed because of this manhunt that continues.

In terms of what we heard from authorities, Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens saying recently that this particular fugitive had actually been able to elude authorities in Brazil after he allegedly committed his first murder.

[02:50:00]

Actually, hiding out in the jungles in South America and eventually able to get away. The lieutenant colonel insisting that that is likely not going to happen here. This is what he said with some confidence.

LT. COL. GEORGE BIVENS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: I will keep up this search at whatever tempo is appropriate for as long as we need to. He is a dangerous individual. We'll keep this up. We've done it in the past. I would think that history should allow people to see that we mean it when we say we're here to stay until we capture him.

SANDOVAL: And as helicopters continue to circle overhead in the community, there's certainly a growing sense of not just frustration but also bewilderment that now well into a week and a half of this search, that Cavalcante still remains out of the reach of authorities. But when you hear from the Pennsylvania State Police, they will say with confidence they believe that he is still here and that they will find him sooner or later.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

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NEWTON: Coming up for us on "CNN Newsroom", a complicated operation is underway at this hour in Turkey to rescue an American man trapped deep underground at this hour.

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[02:55:04]

NEWTON: Nearly 200 rescuers has started their delicate operation to bring an American trapped in a cave in Southern Turkey to the surface. This is the moment Mark Dickey began descending into the Morca sinkhole, a cave more than 3,400 feet, that's about 1,000 meters deep. Dickey was on an exploration mission with an international team when he fell ill with suspected intestinal bleeding. Nada Bashir picks up our story from there.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, a week long since alarm bells were first sounded around Mark Dickey's health and an operation to rescue him from Turkey's their deepest cave is now underway. The American caver has, over the last week, been receiving urgent medical at base camp, more than three and a half thousand feet below ground. For what they said to have been a case of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Now, according to rescuers on the ground, Dickey has received a blood transfusion and is now said to be in a stable condition. But this is a complex operation, and a lot of careful preparation has gone into this rescue mission. In its latest update, Turkey's caving federation says Dickey is currently being transported by a stretcher through the pastures of the cave. And you can imagine how tricky this will be given the narrow and winding nature of many of these passages. The actual ascent is said to be divided into seven parts, according to the European Cave Rescue Association, with each segment being overseen by different rescue teams.

And this truly is a multinational rescue effort. More than 180 rescuers are on the ground from countries, including Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Italy. And while this route would typically take an experienced caver, around 16 hours to reach the surface under ideal conditions, Dickey's rescue is expected to take days. The priority, of course, is ensuring that the American caver remains in a stable condition throughout.

Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

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NEWTON: I'm Paula Newton. I want to thank you for your company. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" right after a break.

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