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Nightmare in Rhode Island

Aired February 21, 2003 - 13:03   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A rock 'n' roll nightmare in Warwick, Rhode Island. At least 65 people are now confirmed dead, and the search for bodies continues. A crowded nightclub erupted in flames, ignited by a rock band's special effects.
Hours later, it is unclear who was at fault. CNN's Jason Carroll is standing by live to give us the very latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Kyra, at this point I can tell you that investigators are still here at the scene of what used to be a very popular nightclub called The Station. Want to show you some aerial shots, so you can get a better vantage point of exactly what investigators are dealing with here. They are using a crane to remove some of the heavy debris so they can get at the area where they believe more bodies are buried.

That area being what used to be the front door, the dance floor, and near the stage. We can tell you that just within the past 30 minutes, at least three more bodies were brought out.

But officially at this point, the number of dead still stands at 65, but both the governor and officials out here all acknowledging, sadly, that that number is sure to rise as the day continues.

Let me very quickly recap what happened here last night. It was about 11:00. A very popular hard rock band called Great White had just taken the stage. They used pyrotechnics as part of their act. Those pyrotechnics ignited a wall -- right behind the stage, and eyewitnesses say that very quickly after that there were flames, heavy smoke, the lights went out. Nearly made it impossible for people to get out.

Eyewitnesses saying literally people crawled on top of each other in order to try to make their way to an exit, that exit being the front door. One eyewitness told us that she was angry this morning, angry and sad. Angry because many people are learning at this point that the club did not have a license to have pyrotechnics used inside the club. Want you to listen to one survivor, Nicole Comet (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My thoughts are anger, probably, and why would they be so irresponsible? However, when I was in -- when I was in the building making my way out, in the split seconds that I was there inside and leaving, headed out the back, I was wondering where was basic fire prevention. I saw no fire extinguishers to speak of. None appeared while we were in there. No water came down from sprinkler systems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: A lot of anger out here. Anger and another emotion of sadness. In terms of what happened inside, chaotic. Eyewitnesses like the one you just heard said it was just as chaotic outside. Once people made their way outside, people were screaming, trying to find their loved ones. At some point, those who were injured, badly burned, actually putting their hands in the snow to try to cool off their wounds. People describing it here as a horrific scene.

The investigation still continuing out here, the process of recovering bodies, that is continuing. That will be continuing throughout the day -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jason Carroll, we'll have more on that investigation in just a little bit.

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 February 21, 2003 - 13:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A rock 'n' roll nightmare in Warwick, Rhode Island. At least 65 people are now confirmed dead, and the search for bodies continues. A crowded nightclub erupted in flames, ignited by a rock band's special effects.
Hours later, it is unclear who was at fault. CNN's Jason Carroll is standing by live to give us the very latest -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Kyra, at this point I can tell you that investigators are still here at the scene of what used to be a very popular nightclub called The Station. Want to show you some aerial shots, so you can get a better vantage point of exactly what investigators are dealing with here. They are using a crane to remove some of the heavy debris so they can get at the area where they believe more bodies are buried.

That area being what used to be the front door, the dance floor, and near the stage. We can tell you that just within the past 30 minutes, at least three more bodies were brought out.

But officially at this point, the number of dead still stands at 65, but both the governor and officials out here all acknowledging, sadly, that that number is sure to rise as the day continues.

Let me very quickly recap what happened here last night. It was about 11:00. A very popular hard rock band called Great White had just taken the stage. They used pyrotechnics as part of their act. Those pyrotechnics ignited a wall -- right behind the stage, and eyewitnesses say that very quickly after that there were flames, heavy smoke, the lights went out. Nearly made it impossible for people to get out.

Eyewitnesses saying literally people crawled on top of each other in order to try to make their way to an exit, that exit being the front door. One eyewitness told us that she was angry this morning, angry and sad. Angry because many people are learning at this point that the club did not have a license to have pyrotechnics used inside the club. Want you to listen to one survivor, Nicole Comet (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My thoughts are anger, probably, and why would they be so irresponsible? However, when I was in -- when I was in the building making my way out, in the split seconds that I was there inside and leaving, headed out the back, I was wondering where was basic fire prevention. I saw no fire extinguishers to speak of. None appeared while we were in there. No water came down from sprinkler systems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: A lot of anger out here. Anger and another emotion of sadness. In terms of what happened inside, chaotic. Eyewitnesses like the one you just heard said it was just as chaotic outside. Once people made their way outside, people were screaming, trying to find their loved ones. At some point, those who were injured, badly burned, actually putting their hands in the snow to try to cool off their wounds. People describing it here as a horrific scene.

The investigation still continuing out here, the process of recovering bodies, that is continuing. That will be continuing throughout the day -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jason Carroll, we'll have more on that investigation in just a little bit.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com