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CNN Live At Daybreak
Death Toll from Iran Earthquake Rising
Aired December 31, 2003 - 06:05 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It just gets worse in Bam. More than 30,000 are now officially dead. And this morning, a grim tour.
Our correspondent has been allowed to move about in that ancient city in Iran. Kasra Naji joins us live to show us more.
Hello -- Kasra.
KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Yes, it's a very grim sight indeed. As you can imagine, this place is completely flattened. The people who have survived this have either gone or they live in these tents in pockets here and there in neighborhoods.
These people have been living in these conditions, very cold nights here for the fifth night, in fact, last night. And there is serious concern about their health, because even the flu or a simple cold can become fatal here. What they do is basically huddle around these log fires that they have set up outside their tents.
Other things you see are the distribution of food and other supplies. Trucks come in. Like, I saw a truck distributing potatoes from the back of the truck, people running after the truck to receive these bags. And they are also in the main squares here.
Other things are coming, like kerosene is coming, like other stuffs are coming, and people rushing towards these trucks to receive these supplies -- water, kerosene, other things.
So, they're getting stuff, but obviously they need a lot and they are desperate in these conditions -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kasra, we're seeing pictures of a truck with U.S. aid workers, some from Fairfax County, Virginia. And you said that the Americans had set up a camp, so to speak, and put an American flag above it. Can you tell us more about that?
NAJI: Yes, these are the people who arrived yesterday. There are 83 of them. They are doctors, nurses, other aid workers from a host of government agencies. So, technically, they are government officials -- U.S. government officials. And we haven't seen that here in this country. U.S. government officials are being active, doing things in Iran. We haven't seen that since the hostage crisis in 1980, some 23 years ago.
So, it's quite a sight to see Americans coming to help Iran at the time of its need, and Iranians are willing and happy to receive.
And what I understand is that a group of Revolutionary Guards just moments ago drove through this camp and gave these guys -- American guys a bouquet of flowers and a few boxes of presents to welcome them.
So, they are being welcomed very warmly indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Kasra Naji reporting live from Bam, Iran, this morning.
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 December 31, 2003 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It just gets worse in Bam. More than 30,000 are now officially dead. And this morning, a grim tour.
Our correspondent has been allowed to move about in that ancient city in Iran. Kasra Naji joins us live to show us more.
Hello -- Kasra.
KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.
Yes, it's a very grim sight indeed. As you can imagine, this place is completely flattened. The people who have survived this have either gone or they live in these tents in pockets here and there in neighborhoods.
These people have been living in these conditions, very cold nights here for the fifth night, in fact, last night. And there is serious concern about their health, because even the flu or a simple cold can become fatal here. What they do is basically huddle around these log fires that they have set up outside their tents.
Other things you see are the distribution of food and other supplies. Trucks come in. Like, I saw a truck distributing potatoes from the back of the truck, people running after the truck to receive these bags. And they are also in the main squares here.
Other things are coming, like kerosene is coming, like other stuffs are coming, and people rushing towards these trucks to receive these supplies -- water, kerosene, other things.
So, they're getting stuff, but obviously they need a lot and they are desperate in these conditions -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kasra, we're seeing pictures of a truck with U.S. aid workers, some from Fairfax County, Virginia. And you said that the Americans had set up a camp, so to speak, and put an American flag above it. Can you tell us more about that?
NAJI: Yes, these are the people who arrived yesterday. There are 83 of them. They are doctors, nurses, other aid workers from a host of government agencies. So, technically, they are government officials -- U.S. government officials. And we haven't seen that here in this country. U.S. government officials are being active, doing things in Iran. We haven't seen that since the hostage crisis in 1980, some 23 years ago.
So, it's quite a sight to see Americans coming to help Iran at the time of its need, and Iranians are willing and happy to receive.
And what I understand is that a group of Revolutionary Guards just moments ago drove through this camp and gave these guys -- American guys a bouquet of flowers and a few boxes of presents to welcome them.
So, they are being welcomed very warmly indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Kasra Naji reporting live from Bam, Iran, this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
