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CNN Live Saturday
Search for Earthquake Survivors Continues in Algeria
Aired May 24, 2003 - 18:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now Rym Brahimi is on the telephone with us, joining us from Algiers, about 60 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.
And, Rym, folks there are very upset about a number of things. The infrastructure there and the government leadership. Tell me about what's taking place there now.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Fredricka. We went to a couple of sites that were really hardly hit. We spent part of the day there, in fact. And we were met with -- we met a lot of anger there on the part of residents. A lot of anger directed toward the government. A lot of people saying that rescue efforts were slow to come on the part of the authorities and that they weren't given sufficient equipment or adequate equipment to deal with the scale of the tragedy that took place in Algeria.
Now, what they've been saying is that they have been digging with their bare hands and that the efforts have been purely efforts of basically ordinary Algerians and volunteers.
Of course, as you know, Fredricka, President Bouteflika of Algeria toured one of the hardest hit areas, the town of Boumerdes, today. And he was met with a lot of anger, indeed, people literally shouting at him and then when he went back into his car, having cut his visit short because of the level of tension where people were literally kicking the cars from his motorcade as well.
WHITFIELD: And Rym, we're seeing those pictures now, or a moment ago, we were seeing those pictures of how people were hurling objects out at the motorcade there as the president was going by.
He said he cut his visit short, he didn't get out of the car ever, did he, to also address any of these people's concerns?
BRAHIMI: He actually did get out of the car at one point and that's when he -- it seems at any rate that he, you know, was maybe made to turn back. He got out of the car and started walking through one of the very hard hit areas. And people started approaching, he actually approached them. He visited a hospital as well.
But outside in the streets he approached people and he realized at that point, probably his security escort as well, realized there was so much anger. We saw pictures of people literally shouting at the president. A woman just went up to him and started shouting at him. Other young men were sort of pushing their way around trying to get close to him, pushing his security around. And then when he went back into his car they started throwing debris at the car and kicking some of the cars, even with their bare feet.
WHITFIELD: All right, Rym Brahimi, on the telephone with us from Algiers. Thank you very much. As the search continues for bodies and possibly even survivors there, days now after that earthquake.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 24, 2003 - 18:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now Rym Brahimi is on the telephone with us, joining us from Algiers, about 60 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.
And, Rym, folks there are very upset about a number of things. The infrastructure there and the government leadership. Tell me about what's taking place there now.
RYM BRAHIMI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed, Fredricka. We went to a couple of sites that were really hardly hit. We spent part of the day there, in fact. And we were met with -- we met a lot of anger there on the part of residents. A lot of anger directed toward the government. A lot of people saying that rescue efforts were slow to come on the part of the authorities and that they weren't given sufficient equipment or adequate equipment to deal with the scale of the tragedy that took place in Algeria.
Now, what they've been saying is that they have been digging with their bare hands and that the efforts have been purely efforts of basically ordinary Algerians and volunteers.
Of course, as you know, Fredricka, President Bouteflika of Algeria toured one of the hardest hit areas, the town of Boumerdes, today. And he was met with a lot of anger, indeed, people literally shouting at him and then when he went back into his car, having cut his visit short because of the level of tension where people were literally kicking the cars from his motorcade as well.
WHITFIELD: And Rym, we're seeing those pictures now, or a moment ago, we were seeing those pictures of how people were hurling objects out at the motorcade there as the president was going by.
He said he cut his visit short, he didn't get out of the car ever, did he, to also address any of these people's concerns?
BRAHIMI: He actually did get out of the car at one point and that's when he -- it seems at any rate that he, you know, was maybe made to turn back. He got out of the car and started walking through one of the very hard hit areas. And people started approaching, he actually approached them. He visited a hospital as well.
But outside in the streets he approached people and he realized at that point, probably his security escort as well, realized there was so much anger. We saw pictures of people literally shouting at the president. A woman just went up to him and started shouting at him. Other young men were sort of pushing their way around trying to get close to him, pushing his security around. And then when he went back into his car they started throwing debris at the car and kicking some of the cars, even with their bare feet.
WHITFIELD: All right, Rym Brahimi, on the telephone with us from Algiers. Thank you very much. As the search continues for bodies and possibly even survivors there, days now after that earthquake.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
