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Trail Derailment in Commerce, California

Aired June 20, 2003 - 15:34   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: Breaking news story that we've been following for you courtesy of our CNN affiliate KABC. A train derailment in Commerce, California. That's just about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles, California. You see the live pictures here as firefighters treating some of those individuals, whether in from the train or from the homes that the train has actually demolished. Six homes we are told demolished. Apparently the train was carrying a load of lumber. And you can see everything dispersed since the train derailment.
On the phone with me now, Mark Savidge with the L.A. County Fire Department. First of all, Mark, can you tell me about injuries at this point?

MARK SAVIDGE, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: We've been there just a short time. We got the call about 30 minutes ago. What we have is a 30-car train, 18 cars have derailed. They were carrying lumber. What we're doing right now is making a systematic search of the homes that have been damaged or destroyed. We're getting information that we have three homes that have been damaged from this train derailment.

We have no fire. We have no hazardous materials leak of any kind. They were not carrying any hazardous materials, which is good. However, we do have injuries to 11 people, and we're still trying to determine whether they were on the train or in the homes. We've got, fortunately, their injuries are minor. We've got one moderate injury. We're still trying to get the information that comes in. We've geared up. We've got many ambulances. Our urban search and rescue team is there to do a systematic search of the affected homes. It's still taking -- it's taking -- it's going to take some time to get in there and make sure that we don't have anybody trapped or unaccounted for.

PHILLIPS: So, Mark, was this a passenger train or just simply bringing, you know, cargo along?

SAVIDGE: No, this was a train carrying lumber. And lumber only. There are some hazardous materials in the locomotive part. We've got -- they carry fuels, and then there's other things to deal with. But fortunately, they were not carrying any hazardous materials. This was just a lumber train. That's the information we've got so far.

PHILLIPS: Mark Savidge, L.A. County Fire Department, we sure appreciate you updating us on this story that we will continue to follow. Live pictures now via our CNN affiliate KTLA out of Los Angeles. You're looking at a train derailment. Eighteen cars derailed from a 30-car train. This is just about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles, California, in Commerce, California, home to about 13,000 people. According to Mark Savidge from the L.A. County Fire Department, three homes demolished by this train derailment. Not six, like we previously reported. Treating 11 people right now on the scene, and the search continues for other people that may be trapped within the rubble. We'll continue to follow this story via Commerce, California.

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 June 20, 2003 - 15:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news story that we've been following for you courtesy of our CNN affiliate KABC. A train derailment in Commerce, California. That's just about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles, California. You see the live pictures here as firefighters treating some of those individuals, whether in from the train or from the homes that the train has actually demolished. Six homes we are told demolished. Apparently the train was carrying a load of lumber. And you can see everything dispersed since the train derailment.
On the phone with me now, Mark Savidge with the L.A. County Fire Department. First of all, Mark, can you tell me about injuries at this point?

MARK SAVIDGE, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: We've been there just a short time. We got the call about 30 minutes ago. What we have is a 30-car train, 18 cars have derailed. They were carrying lumber. What we're doing right now is making a systematic search of the homes that have been damaged or destroyed. We're getting information that we have three homes that have been damaged from this train derailment.

We have no fire. We have no hazardous materials leak of any kind. They were not carrying any hazardous materials, which is good. However, we do have injuries to 11 people, and we're still trying to determine whether they were on the train or in the homes. We've got, fortunately, their injuries are minor. We've got one moderate injury. We're still trying to get the information that comes in. We've geared up. We've got many ambulances. Our urban search and rescue team is there to do a systematic search of the affected homes. It's still taking -- it's taking -- it's going to take some time to get in there and make sure that we don't have anybody trapped or unaccounted for.

PHILLIPS: So, Mark, was this a passenger train or just simply bringing, you know, cargo along?

SAVIDGE: No, this was a train carrying lumber. And lumber only. There are some hazardous materials in the locomotive part. We've got -- they carry fuels, and then there's other things to deal with. But fortunately, they were not carrying any hazardous materials. This was just a lumber train. That's the information we've got so far.

PHILLIPS: Mark Savidge, L.A. County Fire Department, we sure appreciate you updating us on this story that we will continue to follow. Live pictures now via our CNN affiliate KTLA out of Los Angeles. You're looking at a train derailment. Eighteen cars derailed from a 30-car train. This is just about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles, California, in Commerce, California, home to about 13,000 people. According to Mark Savidge from the L.A. County Fire Department, three homes demolished by this train derailment. Not six, like we previously reported. Treating 11 people right now on the scene, and the search continues for other people that may be trapped within the rubble. We'll continue to follow this story via Commerce, California.

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