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South Asian Quake; House Explodes; New Hampshire Floods

Aired October 10, 2005 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Searching for survivors, desperately needing aid. We're live on the latest with the earthquake that's killed thousands of people and left millions of more homeless.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Kyra Phillips. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

Rugged and remote for eons, contested and conflicted for decades, devastated since the weekend by epic disaster. Northeast Pakistan and the Pakistani sector of Kashmir site of 37,000 dead by official estimates after Saturday's earthquake, a quake that's also blamed for hundreds of deaths in India and Indian Kashmir. One so far in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's president is asking the world for help. And the world, including arch rival India, is responding. Much more on that in a moment.

But first, the Bush administration is promising $50 million in aid as a first installment. The quake was centered near a city of 250,000 that no longer exists. None -- repeat, none -- of the buildings in Balakot, less than 100 miles northeast of Islamabad, are believed to have survived, thought most of the residents apparently did and now face night after night amid ruins on freezing mountainside.

CNN's Matthew Chance has been there and just returned to the capital, where he joins me by phone.

Matthew, what can you tell us?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, thanks very much.

And that's right, I just came back from Balakot, that town of 250,000 people that has literally been flattened by the sheer power of that earthquake, which of course struck in the early hours of Saturday morning local time. A town of 250,000 people, thousands of them now remain -- have been made homeless, rather.

They're actually in the very exposed areas sitting along the riverbanks that go through that town, waiting for inrelief effort to arrive. And they've been waiting for three days, and nothing has really got there so far.

There are occasional helicopters that are being sent there by the Pakistani military which is leading the relief effort in that part of the country and over the rest of the country, as well. But really, that has been confined to taking away some of the most seriously injured of the survivors to hospitals elsewhere in the country where they can get treatment.

Back on the ground in Balakot, it's still extremely desperate and is getting more so because they don't have any food, they don't have any water, and they don't have any shelter either. That in a very exposed, sometimes very cold part of this country -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Matthew, we've been talking so much about the response to these survivors, and even trying to find others as rescuers continue to look for signs of life. But with regard to the war on terror, and these areas already being strapped with regard to resources, what's the word through your military sources about can military regiments still fight the war on terror and respond to this quake? Already resources are so strapped.

CHANCE: It's a difficult question to answer, but, I mean, look, I mean, the fact is that the extent of this earthquake is so vast that even if the Pakistani army throws all of its resources at it -- and I don't know what portion of its resources it has thrown at it -- it's still probably too big for them to handle by themselves.

And the president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, has said as much. That's why he's been out there in the media calling for the international community, private charities, as well as privately with governments whose allies are the United States and the Europeans as well, and other people from the Muslim world, to send as much support as they can because he's quite honest about this.

He's saying, look, we can't handle this ourselves. We need help. And slowly, gradually, perhaps too slowly for very many people out there, particularly in the remote areas of Pakistan, slowly it is starting to come through now.

PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, via phone there from Islamabad.

Matthew, thank you.

And all over the quake zone, like we said, rescuers are looking for signs of life underneath that rubble. This is just one hub of desperate activity, a destroyed 11-story apartment building in Islamabad, Pakistan. We'll see it in just minute here, the location.

Forty-five people are missing after the collapse, including Europeans, Arabs and Japanese. Twenty-seven people are confirmed dead, and a British rescue worker says it's still possible to pull survivors out alive from those ruins, but time is running out.

The earthquake spread devastation beyond Pakistan. At least one person was killed in Afghanistan, and hundreds of people are dead in Kashmir, the region claimed by both Pakistan and its neighbor, India.

CNN's Ram Ramgopal is in the Indian-controlled part of that area.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAM RAMGOPAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The physical pain of a survivor. This is Srinigar's main hospital, where the wards are full of patients, victims of an earthquake not seen in Kashmir for generations.

Rafit Arrah survived the quake. Her relatives pulled her out of her home in the center part of the Kashmir Valley. "I saw the walls collapse around me," Rifat says. "I thought I was trapped, then I was dragged free."

In the border town of Uri, Atta Mohammed Lon (ph) and his wife Saira Begum sit dazed outside their devastated house. "We've lost all our material possessions, everything," says Saira. "We survived only because of the grace of god."

Lon lost his business as well. The smoke still smolders in what used to be his shop more than a day after the quake struck.

The devastation is everywhere. Local residents say it's not clear how bad the damage was in some of the hardest-hit villages.

Uri lies on the strategic highway linking the Pakistani and Indian-controlled areas of Kashmir. Damage is extensive. The Indian security forces are leading the relief and rescue efforts in this badly-hit region. However, it will be weeks, months, maybe years before life returns to the way it used to be. This once buzzing town, surrounded by some of the world areas most beautiful mountains, is now eerily silent.

Ram Ramgopal, CNN, Uri, Indian-controlled Kashmir.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, there are plenty of U.S. military resources in the region. And some are already helping out in that relief effort.

Eight helicopters that were part of U.S. operations in Afghanistan are now delivering aid to remote areas of Pakistan. And that's just the beginning.

U.S. military commanders are considering their next steps. The man in charge of combined forces in Afghanistan talked with Pakistani officials today to see what other help they need. Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry says there is much more work to be done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. FORCES, AFGHANISTAN: The needs right now in Pakistan are enormous. The material help that they've requested includes tents, dry food, water, medicine, and of particular importance to them right now is helicopters. It's very rugged terrain that these tragedies occurred in. The need of helicopters to move relief supplies and to move personnel, and to very importantly evacuate those who are wounded right now and the casualties, it's very significant. We've managed here in the first 48 hours to have eight helicopters that we've moved from Kabul, Afghanistan, down to Islamabad. We've got five cargo helicopters and three of our utility helicopters. They arrived late this afternoon. And early tomorrow morning, as the sun comes up, those helicopters will start working in support of the Pakistan authorities and the military in moving supplies forward.

Also, early in the morning, we had our first C-17 aircraft land. They brought in 18 pallets of tents, food and cots. And then tomorrow we'll have three more C-130s coming in and another C-17 with tents, food, water.

And so we're starting to deliver supplies rapidly. We've got helicopters on the ground. But there is an enormous amount of work that has to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, thousands of miles away, officials are trying to get a grasp on another natural disaster. They are giving up efforts to dig out bodies and declaring entire communities mass graveyards after killer mudslides in Guatemala last Wednesday. The worst-hit village is under up to 20 feet of mud.

One thousand people, a fifth of the town's population, are now feared dead. The government says the confirmed death toll so far in that entire country is 652, but that number is expected to rise dramatically. The mudslides and flooding were triggered by the annual rainy season and the impact of Hurricane Stan.

Straight ahead, an explosion forces the evacuation of a day care center. We're live from Birmingham, Alabama.

And later, New Orleans police officers accused in the beating of a suspect go to court today. Find out what the chief had to say in my interview with him just ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we've been keeping you updated on a house explosion and fire in the suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. That house was next door to a daycare center that had to be evacuated.

Alan Collins, of CNN affiliate WBRC, joins us live once again.

Alan, any latest information?

ALAN COLLINS, REPORTER, WBRC: Kyra, we can tell you there is now one confirmed fatality, a body that has been found at the house. We'll go ahead and take a live look over here. We're in east Birmingham.

Now, residents in the area took about some sort of explosion that happened around 10:30 Central Time. Authorities not confirming that at this time, but when they came here the house was fully engulfed in flames, billowing out of this residence. And they couldn't get inside at all.

They discovered there was a gas leak, and the house collapsed on top of the gas line. So, they could not get at all in there until literally they had to dig a hole in the front of the yard and shut off the gas. Shortly after noon Central Time, they finally were able to get the fire totally out.

Now the search is under way. The biggest hindrance now is the structure of the house. They can't get inside too far because the building, as you can see, is in dangerous shape for firemen to risk them selves to begin any sort of search and rescue operation. But they are trying to do what they can.

Again, one confirmed fatality.

Now, if you would -- Lloyd would swing over a little to the right there, you can see that the day care center, we can tell you about 50 children were kept at this church daycare center, none were injured. They were not in danger during this, but all were evacuated and brought across the street to the church itself.

This is the New Rising Star Missionary Church. This is their daycare center. All 50 children are OK. Parents have been asked to come in and pick those children up.

Again, this is now a tough time for relatives of these people. We're told that the couple living there an elderly couple, a brother and sister, one 76, the other 71. And a man about 53 -- I just spoke with his mother -- he was over here providing them some sort of assistance.

One neighbor told us that they believed at this time they were trying to do some sort of work on the water heater. We have no idea from authorities if that was the cause of this at all. Again, authorities have to piece together all of this, and that's going to take a great deal of work to get through the structure.

But right now, the main search and rescue, if there are two other people in there, trying to find them and check out their conditions. But right now it does not look good.

That's the latest we have from Birmingham -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Alan Collins, with our affiliate WBRC.

Sure appreciate your reports, Alan. Thank you.

A U.S. soldier is among those dead on another day of killing in Iraq. A soldier died in a suicide bombing at a military checkpoint in Baghdad. Three Iraqis were wounded in that attack. The death boosts the number of American war dead in Iraq to 1,963.

Also today in Baghdad, three other suicide bombings, including this one in the western part of the city. The Associated Press reports that the blast killed three Iraqi policemen and three civilians. Bombings and drive-by shootings are blamed for a dozen deaths across Iraq today as the country braces for Saturday's referendum on a proposed constitution.

Also today, the U.S. military is reporting the death of another American soldier in Afghanistan. A second U.S. soldier was wounded during the gun battle in eastern Afghanistan yesterday and is listed in stable condition.

Well, three weeks after its national election, Germany will have a new chancellor. Conservative leader Angela Merkel is lead -- is to lead the country's new government in a power-sharing agreement with the liberal Social Democrats, led by the outgoing chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.

Now announcing the deal in Berlin, Merkel said that she hopes to repair relations with Washington after the heated disagreements over the war in Iraq. But she said better relations with Washington should not come at the expense of Germany's ties with Russia.

Straight ahead, deadly floodwaters surge through towns in the northeast. We're going to show you what happened and why there are fears the worst may not be over.

Also ahead, supreme choice. The president's nominee for the nation's top court drawing criticism from some conservatives. We're going to talk about that straight ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Back live in B Control.

There's a state of emergency in New Hampshire after intense rain turned streets into rivers and lakes. The governor says he's never seen anything like it. The floods are receding in some areas, but many places are still under water.

Kria Sakakeeny, from our affiliate WMUR, is on the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRIA SAKAKEENY, REPORTER, WMUR: We're in Keene, New Hampshire, which is a popular city in the western part of the state. And we're standing on one of the many city streets that was flooded. In fact, they had to evacuate about 1,000 people here, 80 of whom stayed at Red Cross shelters.

This is just one of the areas in New Hampshire affected. Witnesses reported seeing in the northern parts rivers tearing down small homes, small businesses. People say they saw cars floating down the river. And in one town, officials found two people who had drowned in their car. In another town, they are looking for two missing people.

The governor did declare a state of emergency, and mobilized about 500 National Guard troops, 100 of whom are in Keene. They unfortunately had to shut down a lot of the power here because it's simply too dangerous with all the flooding. But they do hope to get many of those people back in their homes tonight. Kria Sakakeeny, in Keene, New Hampshire.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And more rain is the last thing that New Hampshire needs right now, but nature may not cooperate. Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, has the forecast for that area.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And this just in to CNN. Live pictures right now from Islamabad. These are rescue crews right now finding people alive underneath this rubble.

You k now we have been talking about the thousands and thousands of people that are either dead or missing after this earthquake struck the region. We want to take you straight to Becky Anderson. She is there on the scene.

Becky, some good news to report. Are you actually seeing people getting pulled out of this rubble?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, some hope in this despair. Just about a half-hour ago, we heard a huge roar here at the site of this building. This was a 10-story building, it was completely decimated on Saturday, 8:50 local time, when the earthquake struck.

A huge roar about a half-hour ago, and a small child was pulled from the debris here alive. And what you're watching at present is the mother of that small child being pulled from the rubble. These rescue workers here, the search and rescue workers, tensing (ph) at present in an effort to pull the mother from this rubble.

I was just told by the director of this British search and rescue effort, which is working alongside the Pakistani army, that they believe that they heard the voices of these two yesterday. They pulled three people out of this debris alive yesterday. They heard these voices yesterday, they've been working since then to pull these people out.

I was told that there is actually a huge void just behind the part that you can see there. And what they're hoping is there are some 50 to 60 people still possibly alive among that rubble.

There have been 35 bodies brought out, unfortunately. As I say, as we speak, the mother of a child who was pulled out just about a half-hour ago from debris of this 10-story building here in Islamabad is also being pulled out alive -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And Becky, just to remind our viewers, this is an apartment complex, is that correct? And do we know where that child has been taken?

Go ahead, I'm sorry.

ANDERSON: Yes, the child would have been taken to the local hospital here, (INAUDIBLE), the Pakistani medical service. This is a fairly affluent area, in fact, in Islamabad. And I don't know if you can see over my shoulder, there are about eight apartment blocks here, all about 10 stories. The rest of them survived.

No one knows why this building has gone down. And there is much debate about the state of its repair. In fact, it has only been up for about 10 years. So there will be a massive investigation into why this building came down when it did.

There's still some hope, where there's an awful lot of despair here in Pakistan.

PHILLIPS: Well, Becky Anderson, one life saved is definitely -- we want to keep hearing about those lives being saved. One -- and I'm sure there will be many more.

Becky Anderson, from Islamabad.

Thank you so much.

Now, back here in the United States, as New Orleans continues to clean up after Hurricane Katrina, police department officials are struggling with a cleanup of their own. Three officers appeared in court this morning. They entered not guilty pleas to battery charges stemming from a weekend arrest that has further tarnished the police department's already dim image.

CNN's Alina Cho has the report. And this warning: you may find these pictures very disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the tape, two New Orleans police officers can be seen trying to make an arrest. The man in question, identified as 64-year-old Robert Davis, does not appear to resist. Moments later, an officer on horseback maneuvers in front of The Associated Press photographer, blocking his view of the scene.

Then a glimpse.

By our count, Davis sustains four blows to the head. His head also appears to hit the wall. Later, four men, two of them clearly identified as police, push Davis to the ground and place him in a headlock. They try to handcuff him. Here again, an officer punches Davis two more times.

CAPT. MARLON DEFILLO, NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPT.: Now, the question that comes to mind as far as the investigators is the degree of force used by the officers, and was that force appropriate? And we believe that the approach, based on the preliminary review, was not appropriate. It was not in line with the department policies and procedures. It was not in line with the department's training.

So certainly that's a great concern for the police department.

CHO: At this point, a man who identifies himself as Officer F.M. Smith pushes The Associated Press producer and pins him against a car. In a tirade full of expletives, the officer says, "I've been here for six weeks trying to keep myself alive. Go home."

All of this is happening just outside a hotel where a CNN photojournalist is staying. He notices the street is blocked off, a bloodied man is on the ground, and beings taping.

Davis' shirt is soaked with blood. As he tries to turn over, it becomes clear he has suffered head injuries.

DEFILLO: Those three police officers that we've identified will be suspended from the department and they will be arrested, and will be arrested for simple battery.

CHO (on camera): The suspect, Robert Davis, is charged with battery on a police officer, public intoxication and intimidation, and resisting arrest. A New Orleans police spokesman calls The Associated Press tape of the incident "troubling" and says the department has launched a full criminal investigation.

Alina Cho, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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