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Explosion at Large Gas Station in Central Baghdad

Aired May 01, 2003 - 13:13   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In central Baghdad now, an explosion today at a large gas station. U.S. officials are investigating the cause. But residents say a celebration may be to blame. Joining me now with details on this is CNN's Jim Clancy. He is in Baghdad for us today.
Hello to you, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

Well, the situation is one where the electricity came back on and residents say some people on the street pointed their AK-47s skyward and emptied their magazines, but those bullets fell back to earth, igniting gasoline on the ground or on a fuel tanker truck that was parked there at the gas station. We have reports several people were killed, many badly burned. This gas station was extremely crowded. U.S. forces in the area, happening by, able to use tanks and armored vehicles in order to clear the way for fire engines and emergency vehicles like ambulances to try to help some of those who have been injured. A very tragic situation there indeed.

Meantime in Fallujah, more violence, as two hand grenades were lobbed over the back wall of a U.S. military compound. It's actually an old Baath Party office that's being used by the U.S. military there. Seven U.S. Soldiers lightly injured. Five of them required medical treatment. This, an offshoot of ongoing violence between U.S. troops and civilians in Fallujah.

The result, the U.S. military says, of demonstrations in which shots were fired at them. Residents in Fallujah say no that was not the case, that they never fired on the U.S. troops. They're demanding compensation.

A civil affairs team, along with a psychological operations group, has moved into the area, trying to calm down the scene.

It's clearly, instead of trying -- neither side is capable of shooting their way out of this. They're going to have to sit down and try and talk their was out -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Jim, one quick question for you about these incidents in Fallujah. We're hearing that they seem to be very organized and well planned. Are you hearing anything on that?

CLANCY: Well, we do have a statement that came from Brigadier General Daniel Hahn (ph) of the 5th Corps. He is saying there is some evidence that senior Baath Party officials are involved. We have not seen that evidence at all. As far as the residents are concerned, that is not the case. They say that unless the U.S. military can get its troops under control, and stop provoking some of this violence, as they say, then they believe some of their sons are going to become future Bin Ladens.

It's a very difficult situation that both sides have to work with here, and they've got to get through it somehow. I know Human Rights Watch is coming to investigate this. It has become a full-blown issue. And as I said, they are trying to talk their way out of it.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Jim Clancy, live in Baghdad. Thanks, Jim.

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 1, 2003 - 13:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In central Baghdad now, an explosion today at a large gas station. U.S. officials are investigating the cause. But residents say a celebration may be to blame. Joining me now with details on this is CNN's Jim Clancy. He is in Baghdad for us today.
Hello to you, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi.

Well, the situation is one where the electricity came back on and residents say some people on the street pointed their AK-47s skyward and emptied their magazines, but those bullets fell back to earth, igniting gasoline on the ground or on a fuel tanker truck that was parked there at the gas station. We have reports several people were killed, many badly burned. This gas station was extremely crowded. U.S. forces in the area, happening by, able to use tanks and armored vehicles in order to clear the way for fire engines and emergency vehicles like ambulances to try to help some of those who have been injured. A very tragic situation there indeed.

Meantime in Fallujah, more violence, as two hand grenades were lobbed over the back wall of a U.S. military compound. It's actually an old Baath Party office that's being used by the U.S. military there. Seven U.S. Soldiers lightly injured. Five of them required medical treatment. This, an offshoot of ongoing violence between U.S. troops and civilians in Fallujah.

The result, the U.S. military says, of demonstrations in which shots were fired at them. Residents in Fallujah say no that was not the case, that they never fired on the U.S. troops. They're demanding compensation.

A civil affairs team, along with a psychological operations group, has moved into the area, trying to calm down the scene.

It's clearly, instead of trying -- neither side is capable of shooting their way out of this. They're going to have to sit down and try and talk their was out -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Jim, one quick question for you about these incidents in Fallujah. We're hearing that they seem to be very organized and well planned. Are you hearing anything on that?

CLANCY: Well, we do have a statement that came from Brigadier General Daniel Hahn (ph) of the 5th Corps. He is saying there is some evidence that senior Baath Party officials are involved. We have not seen that evidence at all. As far as the residents are concerned, that is not the case. They say that unless the U.S. military can get its troops under control, and stop provoking some of this violence, as they say, then they believe some of their sons are going to become future Bin Ladens.

It's a very difficult situation that both sides have to work with here, and they've got to get through it somehow. I know Human Rights Watch is coming to investigate this. It has become a full-blown issue. And as I said, they are trying to talk their way out of it.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Jim Clancy, live in Baghdad. Thanks, Jim.

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