Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Iran Earthquake

Aired December 26, 2003 - 13:29   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: So where will help for Iran come from and when, after the massive earthquake in Bam? Dr. Gail Anderson has worked earthquake rescues in Turkey and Armenia. He's now live with us from Los Angeles.
Dr. Anderson, thanks for joining us.

DR. GAIL ANDERSON, MEDICAL DIR., HARBOR UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, you have gone to Turkey and you've been to Armenia, and you've had to deal with earthquakes and earthquake victims.

Let's talk about what's happened in Iran, and you say, especially when it comes to emergency response, this is an area that's just not prepared.

ANDERSON: Yes, I think it's probably one of the more rural areas, even though it's an older area, the problem with the construction that we find in this part of the world is typically -- adds to the problem, when you have to take care of the victims and try to find survivors.

PHILLIPS: And the structures, specifically in Bam, I was reading -- I mean, it's sandstone and it's mud. So an earthquake -- I mean, I'm surprised, it did not level more than half of this area.

ANDERSON: Yes. That's a real problem in this part of the world, because typically, they don't have the same building codes that you find in other places. And often, particularly if the earthquake happens at a time when people are in the homes, such as when they're sleeping, early in the mornings they don't have a chance to get out. So I suspect they're going to find a fair number of casualties there. It also makes it difficult frequently to help get the victims that are still trapped in there out, when you're not in an area that has a lot of emergency infrastructure and ability to respond rapidly.

PHILLIPS: And this is an area that does not have soldiers, or military or National Guard, like we do. So what do these people need right now? What does this country need right now?

ANDERSON: Well, I think -- from what I read, they are sending in some aid from soft of the other countries. Typically, people ask for search and rescue teams, which include dogs. Unfortunately, those, when they're used, are usually getting the victims toward the end of the time. Early on, of course, is the chance when you have -- you need to take advantage of the time to try to get the rubble off the individual, get them to medical care as quickly as possible. That's another problem, I think, having enough hospitals and medical facilities close enough by, as well as to transport, is going to be a real challenge, I think, for the communities in that area.

PHILLIPS: Doctor Anderson, I can imagine the health challenges also, as they start to find some of these people buried underneath the rubble, and even what they're dealing with now in regard to injuries, what kind of health concerns do the people face now in this area?

ANDERSON: Well, first, early on, typically, people injured are going to be the ones that will have the most to worry about, of course. Many of these people have what they call crush injuries, which beans broken bones, problems, internal injuries. Down the road, they're going to need help, probably in fixing these broken bone, sometimes using devices such as external fixaters, they call them, which help to line the bone up properly.

Also, of course, the need for blood donations and this and that are going to be important in that area, as the Red Cross moves around. But the other thing that frequently happens is the hospitals that can take care of the most difficult situations need to be able to do that without being swamped by more minor type of problems. So distributing the casualties appropriately is really going to be an important challenge.

After a few days go by, then you have to start worrying about things such as water supply and other forms of disease that will result with the dead -- the bodies that may or may not be recovered yet.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow the story, keep up on it.

Dr. Gail Anderson, thank you for your time.

ANDERSON: Certainly.

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 26, 2003 - 13:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: So where will help for Iran come from and when, after the massive earthquake in Bam? Dr. Gail Anderson has worked earthquake rescues in Turkey and Armenia. He's now live with us from Los Angeles.
Dr. Anderson, thanks for joining us.

DR. GAIL ANDERSON, MEDICAL DIR., HARBOR UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, you have gone to Turkey and you've been to Armenia, and you've had to deal with earthquakes and earthquake victims.

Let's talk about what's happened in Iran, and you say, especially when it comes to emergency response, this is an area that's just not prepared.

ANDERSON: Yes, I think it's probably one of the more rural areas, even though it's an older area, the problem with the construction that we find in this part of the world is typically -- adds to the problem, when you have to take care of the victims and try to find survivors.

PHILLIPS: And the structures, specifically in Bam, I was reading -- I mean, it's sandstone and it's mud. So an earthquake -- I mean, I'm surprised, it did not level more than half of this area.

ANDERSON: Yes. That's a real problem in this part of the world, because typically, they don't have the same building codes that you find in other places. And often, particularly if the earthquake happens at a time when people are in the homes, such as when they're sleeping, early in the mornings they don't have a chance to get out. So I suspect they're going to find a fair number of casualties there. It also makes it difficult frequently to help get the victims that are still trapped in there out, when you're not in an area that has a lot of emergency infrastructure and ability to respond rapidly.

PHILLIPS: And this is an area that does not have soldiers, or military or National Guard, like we do. So what do these people need right now? What does this country need right now?

ANDERSON: Well, I think -- from what I read, they are sending in some aid from soft of the other countries. Typically, people ask for search and rescue teams, which include dogs. Unfortunately, those, when they're used, are usually getting the victims toward the end of the time. Early on, of course, is the chance when you have -- you need to take advantage of the time to try to get the rubble off the individual, get them to medical care as quickly as possible. That's another problem, I think, having enough hospitals and medical facilities close enough by, as well as to transport, is going to be a real challenge, I think, for the communities in that area.

PHILLIPS: Doctor Anderson, I can imagine the health challenges also, as they start to find some of these people buried underneath the rubble, and even what they're dealing with now in regard to injuries, what kind of health concerns do the people face now in this area?

ANDERSON: Well, first, early on, typically, people injured are going to be the ones that will have the most to worry about, of course. Many of these people have what they call crush injuries, which beans broken bones, problems, internal injuries. Down the road, they're going to need help, probably in fixing these broken bone, sometimes using devices such as external fixaters, they call them, which help to line the bone up properly.

Also, of course, the need for blood donations and this and that are going to be important in that area, as the Red Cross moves around. But the other thing that frequently happens is the hospitals that can take care of the most difficult situations need to be able to do that without being swamped by more minor type of problems. So distributing the casualties appropriately is really going to be an important challenge.

After a few days go by, then you have to start worrying about things such as water supply and other forms of disease that will result with the dead -- the bodies that may or may not be recovered yet.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow the story, keep up on it.

Dr. Gail Anderson, thank you for your time.

ANDERSON: Certainly.

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