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CNN Live At Daybreak

Medina County Fair Open Despite Explosion

Aired July 30, 2001 - 08:17   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now out of Medina, Ohio, four men are dead and at least 49 people injured in the explosion of a steam-powered tractor at the county fair there. A year ago, fair- goers got sick from an E. coli outbreak. The authorities held a news conference about 45 minutes ago.

And Kevin Freeman of CNN's Cleveland affiliate WJW is covering the story from the Medina fairgrounds.

It sure sounds like, Kevin, they're determined to open the fairgrounds again today for visitors.

KEVIN FREEMAN, WJW REPORTER: Yes, that's right, Carol.

Even though there have been two years where there have been major problems here, the Medina County Fair will be open today. Now investigators, just a few minutes ago, told us that it will be several days, maybe even several weeks, before they determine exactly why that steam engine exploded yesterday. The problem is that the experts that they have on steam engines are among the four men who were killed when it exploded.

Now, it was a scene of chaos here, as you might imagine, when that did happen. That steam engine exploded about 6:30 yesterday as people were setting up exhibits. That engine was supposed to be one of the exhibits here of -- along with several other engines like it. From what investigators tells us, shrapnel was found up to 130 yards away, which gives you an idea of how powerful an explosion this was.

As you mentioned, 49 people injured. The injuries range from minor injuries to some major burns. We know of one person at least burned over 50 percent of his body. The ages: from babies to older people. Two police officers, too. Medina city police officers among the injured. They were actually citing that vehicle for being on the pavement at the time when it exploded. But from what we understand, their bulletproof vests may have saved their lives because they found shrapnel embedded in those vests. The injured are at six area hospitals here. Even helicopters from as far away as Pittsburgh, which is about a two-and-a-half hour drive from here, had to come in to help take those injured to hospitals.

Some of the investigators yesterday mentioned steam buildup as a possible cause, but right now, they say it may take many more days before they know for sure what happened. They say that these steam engines at fairs are not unusual, that they may be at many other fairs. It just happened that there was an explosion at this one.

Now we're going to let you see what's happening here today. They are preparing to open up. We're here now where there are some of the rides that still haven't been put together. Now just maybe about a quarter mile on the other side of this is where that accident happened. That has been cordoned off, and even though the fair will be open today, visitors will not be allowed to come to that site. But, of course, they say that they will open it up. There have been questions on why they're having -- opening the fair today and they say that the men who died were longtime supporters of the fair and they say that that's what they would want them to do.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Kevin Freeman, for checking in with us. Kevin Freeman of WJW.

And it was also very unusual for them to drive this steam engine in.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: They mentioned that in the news conference.

LIN: Yes.

MCEDWARDS: Something they're going to look into I guess.

LIN: That's right. Normally they're trucked in -- carried on a flatbed.

MCEDWARDS: Right.

LIN: See what happens.

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