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19 Fire Victims Still Unidentified

Aired February 25, 2003 - 14:18   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to Rhode Island now where 19 of the 97 victims of that terrible tragic fire still have not been identified. Two dozen people remain hospitalized in critical condition as police investigate the events that sparked last Thursday's nightmare at The Station nightclub.
Our Bob Franken joins us live from West Warwick with the latest -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, we're outside where The Station nightclub was until five days ago. And you see behind me what amounts to a snapshot of the situation.

On this side of the fence you see the mourners, the people who are still coming by to pay their tributes to the victims of this fire. Inside the fence, you can see the investigation underway. There are people from the fire marshals office and the various police agencies. You can see a dog there sniffing, going over this debris with a fine- toothed comb, looking for any sort of clues to come up with a conclusion about the cause of this and the blame for this, which will then translate into possible criminal action, we're told by officials, and certainly we're told by lawyers, civil litigation.

Now, of course, at the core of all this is the dispute over who's to blame. The owners of the club say that they were not informed by the band, Great White, that the incendiary devices would be used for the pyrotechnic display, and, of course, the band has said repeatedly, yes, they told the owners of the club. It was the contention that was repeated when the lawyer for the band spoke this morning on CNN with Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED MCPHERSON, ATTORNEY, GREAT WHITE: The tour manager of the band, Dan Beakly (ph), as a matter of routine with respect to this particular tour, would advance the show approximately a week before each show and discuss with each venue representative the fact that the band wanted to do these particular types of special effects.

In this particular case, he had a lengthy conversation with Mike Derderian, who is one of the owners of the band -- I'm sorry -- of the venue approximately a week before this show, told him exactly what the band wanted to do, and got very specific permission from Mr. Derderian.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: And one other thing, Anderson. We've just heard that the police are asking that those people who were in the club who escaped should bring the clothes they were wearing that night in to investigators. Do not wash them. There is an effort to try and find just exactly what kind of materials -- what kind of toxic materials were involved.

Of course, part of the investigation has to do with the insulation, the soundproof insulation, and whether, in fact, it was not appropriate for a situation like they encountered at the club. Now, there's going to be another news conference by the governor in less than an hour. And, of course, we'll get the update on such things as whether they've identified more of the victims -- Anderson.

COOPER: Bob, last time I talked to Rhode Island attorney general, he was saying that the band has been very cooperative. We just saw in your report the band's attorney. He sort of intimated that the club owner is not being quite so cooperative. Any new news on that?

FRANKEN: Not that we know of. Of course, the attorney general tries to speak crypticly. He's got to worry about making sure that he doesn't compromise his conversation. But at last world, he was making it very clear that the band was not being entirely forthcoming, to use a word that he uses.

By the way, the noise that you're hearing over here -- I'm just going to ask Larry if you could move with me -- is one of the fire engines now who is coming back here to the scene, again part of this investigation.

The members of the West Warwick fire department we see right here. They're obviously very leisurely now going to be taking a look at some of what's going on in here. I don't see any explanation for the trucks, but clearly the trucks are not here in any emergency basis.

In any case, this is something that is ongoing. It is, of course, going to take quite a while. The grand jury is supposed to form in the next couple of days, and then the investigation will begin in earnest even as the state continues to mourn -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Bob Franken, live from West Warwick, thanks very much.

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 25, 2003 - 14:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to Rhode Island now where 19 of the 97 victims of that terrible tragic fire still have not been identified. Two dozen people remain hospitalized in critical condition as police investigate the events that sparked last Thursday's nightmare at The Station nightclub.
Our Bob Franken joins us live from West Warwick with the latest -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, we're outside where The Station nightclub was until five days ago. And you see behind me what amounts to a snapshot of the situation.

On this side of the fence you see the mourners, the people who are still coming by to pay their tributes to the victims of this fire. Inside the fence, you can see the investigation underway. There are people from the fire marshals office and the various police agencies. You can see a dog there sniffing, going over this debris with a fine- toothed comb, looking for any sort of clues to come up with a conclusion about the cause of this and the blame for this, which will then translate into possible criminal action, we're told by officials, and certainly we're told by lawyers, civil litigation.

Now, of course, at the core of all this is the dispute over who's to blame. The owners of the club say that they were not informed by the band, Great White, that the incendiary devices would be used for the pyrotechnic display, and, of course, the band has said repeatedly, yes, they told the owners of the club. It was the contention that was repeated when the lawyer for the band spoke this morning on CNN with Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED MCPHERSON, ATTORNEY, GREAT WHITE: The tour manager of the band, Dan Beakly (ph), as a matter of routine with respect to this particular tour, would advance the show approximately a week before each show and discuss with each venue representative the fact that the band wanted to do these particular types of special effects.

In this particular case, he had a lengthy conversation with Mike Derderian, who is one of the owners of the band -- I'm sorry -- of the venue approximately a week before this show, told him exactly what the band wanted to do, and got very specific permission from Mr. Derderian.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: And one other thing, Anderson. We've just heard that the police are asking that those people who were in the club who escaped should bring the clothes they were wearing that night in to investigators. Do not wash them. There is an effort to try and find just exactly what kind of materials -- what kind of toxic materials were involved.

Of course, part of the investigation has to do with the insulation, the soundproof insulation, and whether, in fact, it was not appropriate for a situation like they encountered at the club. Now, there's going to be another news conference by the governor in less than an hour. And, of course, we'll get the update on such things as whether they've identified more of the victims -- Anderson.

COOPER: Bob, last time I talked to Rhode Island attorney general, he was saying that the band has been very cooperative. We just saw in your report the band's attorney. He sort of intimated that the club owner is not being quite so cooperative. Any new news on that?

FRANKEN: Not that we know of. Of course, the attorney general tries to speak crypticly. He's got to worry about making sure that he doesn't compromise his conversation. But at last world, he was making it very clear that the band was not being entirely forthcoming, to use a word that he uses.

By the way, the noise that you're hearing over here -- I'm just going to ask Larry if you could move with me -- is one of the fire engines now who is coming back here to the scene, again part of this investigation.

The members of the West Warwick fire department we see right here. They're obviously very leisurely now going to be taking a look at some of what's going on in here. I don't see any explanation for the trucks, but clearly the trucks are not here in any emergency basis.

In any case, this is something that is ongoing. It is, of course, going to take quite a while. The grand jury is supposed to form in the next couple of days, and then the investigation will begin in earnest even as the state continues to mourn -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Bob Franken, live from West Warwick, thanks very much.

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