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Threat of Disease Outbreaks in Southeastern Asia; Thousands More Deaths Confirmed Today in Indonesia

Aired December 29, 2004 - 10:59   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ships, planes and trucks full of relief supplies arriving in south Asia. We're going to hear from Doctors Without Borders about where they still need the most help.
Plus, the death toll in Thailand keeps rising. Ahead, a look at the startling number of westerners that were killed.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Now we begin by taking a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

President Bush speaking out about the tsunami disaster in southern Asia as the death toll rises to more than 80,000. Mr. Bush says an international coalition has been formed to coordinate aid to the region. We'll go live to Sri Lanka and Indonesia just ahead.

In Iraq today, 28 people were killed when an anonymous caller lured police to a booby-trapped house. The U.S. military says at least four of those killed in the explosion were police officers. A Baghdad police official put the number at nine.

Here in the U.S., a California couple is suing the makers of Children's Motrin. They claim the painkiller led to an allergic reaction that caused their 7-year-old daughter to go blind. The company that makes the drug says it's investigating but wouldn't comment on the lawsuit.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And it is just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rich Sanchez is on assignment.

We begin with the misery and the mounting death toll from the tsunami disaster. Much of the effort now is on preventing further catastrophe from the spread of disease. Let's update the latest developments.

First, the death toll. It has more than doubled from this time yesterday to more than 80,000. More than half of the deaths are in Indonesia.

Cities and towns littered with debris. Food and water supplies are contaminated. And there is growing concern about outbreaks of diseases that could claim as many lives as the tsunamis. Relief efforts to combat the threat are gaining momentum. Supplies are arriving in areas ravaged by the monstrous waves. Aide groups are calling this the largest relief operation the world has ever seen.

Across the Indian Ocean rim, officials are struggling to bury the dead in an effort to protect the living. Health officials say disease is now the biggest danger. Senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, begins our live coverage this hour from Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.

That's right, we are in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Just behind me, the western shore of the -- the country over there. We've been hearing the numbers for some time now, talking about the numbers who have died and the numbers who could still die. The goal of health officials here, to try and keep those who survived the tsunami still alive. The concern obviously being epidemics.

Daryn, we've had a chance to sit down and talk to doctors and survivors on the field -- in the field here in Colombo, finding out that it's not hype, it's not hyperbole. There could be some real concerns about epidemics such as cholera, such as dysentery, such as malaria.

Daryn, what could otherwise be routine problems, such as scrapes or abrasions, could turn into real problems if people can't get stitches or antibiotics. These are the stories we're hearing in Sri Lanka. There is significant concern right now about some of these health concerns -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Sanjay, one thing that will probably help will be to get people who want to get out, like tourists. How is the airport set up? How difficult was it for you to get in?

GUPTA: You know, we were actually pretty surprised at how easy it was to get in. Having been in some of these types of situations before, what I expected to see were crowded runways, where pallets of materials waiting to be transported by C-130 military planes.

We didn't see any of that sort of stuff. There's almost a lack of sense of urgency in some ways here in Colombo. I know aid's getting out around the country, but at least here in Colombo we didn't see that. People are able to get out right now. People are able to get in as well -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And so, as you said, you're in the capital of Colombo. How far away are you from the areas hardest hit? And how difficult would it be to get to those areas, not just for you and our correspondents, but for aid and people who are coming to help?

GUPTA: We're -- you know, it's all around. We're on the coast here. If you go 30 kilometers or so further down the coast, just behind me over here, you're going to run into some of the more devastated areas. You could swing all the way around the east side along the coast, about 100 kilometers. Even more devastation in some of those areas.

A couple of concerns. One is that the roads have been functionally sort of eliminated or cut, as they say, in terms of actually getting some of the trucks over there. So what would otherwise be a couple of hours drive, turning into a 12 or 13-hour drive as they're dealing with debris.

A lot of choppers flying overhead to try and get the supplies over there. But, as you asked about the aid specifically, what we're hearing is that it is hard to get the aid to some of the most devastated areas. And when I talk about aid, we're talking about some of the most basic health requirements, clean water, antibiotics, stitches for wounds, things like that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta in Colombo, Sri Lanka, just arriving there. We will be checking back with you in the days to come. Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

KAGAN: Indonesia was closest to the massive undersea earthquake that triggered the tsunami. And today, the government confirmed thousands more deaths there. Our senior Asia correspondent, Mike Chinoy, has been surveying the devastation in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and he joins us live -- Mike.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well, just in the last 10 minutes we've had a fairly significant aftershock here. The U.S. Geological Survey saying it was 6.1 on the Richter Scale. It was a big jolt. We all felt it.

People in the building where I'm staying ran outside. The folks you can see behind me are refugees, people who've lost their homes. They, too, very frightened. It was an unsettling experience, certainly the biggest aftershock that we felt in the two days that I've been here.

Meanwhile, out and around in Banda Aceh, it's still a very, very grim situation. You still see bodies on many streets not yet removed. There simply don't seem to be enough emergency workers to do that.

A trickle of aid is beginning to come in now. Some of the main international aid agencies like Doctors Without Borders are here. The Australian military brought in a planeload of supplies. But it's still a long way to get those desperately needed supplies to the people who most need them.

And still, the big question mark, the fate of hundreds of thousands of people on the western parts of this territory, along the shoreline closest to the epicenter of the quake. We're just not sure what happened to them. But U.N. officials here are saying it's possible the final death toll could be between 50,000 and 80,000 people -- Daryn. KAGAN: Now, this area that you are, the Aceh province of Indonesia, no strife. Only too well civil war, and a number of guerrillas in that area. What is the status of that situation as people try to get aid to this stricken area?

CHINOY: Well, 30,000 Indonesian soldiers have been fighting against separatist rebels who want to make Aceh independent in Indonesia. It's a long conflict with a very bloody history.

Both sides have called for a cease-fire during this period because of the disaster. But the fact is that this conflict has meant that for the last year or two, at least, Aceh has been off limits to international humanitarian organizations, as well as to foreign journalists like ourselves.

Indonesia's president has announced that those restrictions have been lifted, that Indonesia wants the international help. But with a history of trying to keep outsiders out, it's taken some additional time for the bureaucratic wheels to start getting into motion to allow the people who want to come in to get here and to get their operations going on the ground. And as you drive around Banda Aceh, still you see very, very little evidence of emergency crews out actually operating in the city, let alone in the countryside beyond -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Mike Chinoy from Indonesia. Mike, thank you.

We move on now. More than 1,800 people are confirmed dead in Thailand today. Many are Europeans lured to Phuket -- Phuket Island beaches to escape the winter cold. Here now, Tom Clarke's report from Britain's ITN News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM CLARKE, REPORTER, ITN NEWS (voice-over): The Buddhist temple in Kalak (ph) has become a makeshift morgue. It's here that the unthinkable task of identifying victims of Sunday's tsunami has begun. But where to start when so many are western tourists wearing nothing but bathing suits?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, truly we have a lot of westerners here. Also Burmese and Korean. Westerners make up about 60 percent of the bodies.

CLARKE: Communications with Kalak (ph) were only restored today. Only then did the death toll at this newly-developed resort north of Phuket start to emerge. It's thought a disproportionate number of them will be foreigners.

The waves struck at 10:30 in the morning, just as most tourists were arriving at the beach. As many as 5,000 foreigners were in Kalak (ph). Many staying in large resort hotels like this one. So far, 30 bodies have been recovered from the rubble here, many more remain. Over half its 400,000 residents are still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The door exploded, literally exploded, and the water came into the bedroom. In eight seconds the room was full up. I dived to get to the other side. I don't know how I managed to get out. I really don't know.

CLARKE: Total devastation also on the island of Ko Phi Phi, another tourist hotspot. Eyewitness reports suggest waves that hit here and at Kalak (ph) were larger and more powerful than along other parts of the coast. These beaches are a magnet for European tourists, especially Germans and Swedes.

Today, Swedish officials said 1,500 of their holiday-makers were missing, most of them in Thailand. British tour operators contacted today by Channel 4 News say they're yet to account for most of their clients in resorts outside the town of Phuket. Embassy officials have set up an emergency unit in the town.

TOM CARTER, BRITISH EMBASSY: We have so far confirmed 10 British citizens dead. We have lists that suggest that several hundred at least are injured. Our fear is that both those figures will rise, possibly quite significantly, over the next few days, however.

CLARKE: Relief is beginning to arrive and hope, too. This Swedish toddler was found by locals yesterday. Feared orphaned, he was reunited with his family.

But local people bear the brunt of this tragedy. They've worked hard to make this one of the most desirable destinations in the world. Now many of them are dead, and the survivors face hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage along the west coast of southern Thailand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And later in the hour you're going to hear a first-hand account of the tsunami from another British journalist who was vacationing in southern Thailand with his family.

International aid groups are scrambling to get relief where it's needed. But with the size and scope of the disaster, where do they even begin? I'll speak with an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in just a moment.

A harrowing tale of what passengers on this train experienced. That story's also ahead.

And more information on one survivor story. We'll update you on the condition of supermodel Petra Nemcova.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Doctors Without Borders is one of the international aid groups that has sprung into action in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. According to its Web site, it is air-lifting several tons of emergency supplies to southeast Asia. It also has deployed teams across the stricken region.

Emergency coordinator Dr. Jan Weuts joins us now by phone from Brussels with an update. Dr. Weuts, thank you for being with us.

DR. JAN WEUTS, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: How do you know where to go first with such overwhelming need in so many different places?

WEUTS: Well, closer to the epicenter of the earthquake, which was provoking the tsunami. So the area of north Sumatra has been struck not only by the tsunami, but, first of all, by an earthquake of a never-seen scale.

So we have teams now on the ground. And the city is devastated. Half of the city is completely destroyed, even up to 60 percent. And the people absolutely do not know what happened to them and where to go.

KAGAN: Now, on one hand, you're going to want to treat the wounded, but prevention is such a huge part of this crisis, trying to prevent epidemics from breaking out among the living and those that aren't injured at this point.

WEUTS: Well, we're facing a multitude of problems. In order to increase our operationality on the spot, we first have to see also for to accommodate the health workers, also to make possible for freight to arrive because there's absolutely no fuel in the airports. We have to put up warehouses, otherwise it will not go.

So what we're trying to do now is support still functioning hospitals. And the military is still functioning. There was also a maternity that was still functioning in a global hospital.

Unfortunately, I would say, or fortunately, there's not that many wounded people left. But, of course, then it's very important to try to set up a surveillance system, to have antennas (ph) all over the place that can monitor the morbidity, the presence of the diseases. And then, accordingly, we can react if epidemics might arise.

KAGAN: Of course, your organization, this is the business that you're in, natural disasters, epidemics, armed conflict. You know how to deal with these type of situations, but this scale has to simply be overwhelming.

WEUTS: Well, I must say, I had our team just a half an hour ago on the phone, and they were devastated themselves. They've never seen this, and it's very extremely difficult.

Psychologically, they don't know where to start. But we will get there. We have to get there.

The supplies are in the air. Tomorrow, there's another team arriving. Little by little, we will have to set up massive scale aid efforts, but it's going to take time, logistically spoken.

KAGAN: And for people who want to help your organization, what do you suggest? WEUTS: Well, still the best is to give us money, because we are making quite important expenses. We have two aircraft in the air full time. We have a boat coming.

We have two airplanes that are leaving from Jakarta. We rented a helicopter. We probably think to -- that we will need an extra helicopter. Of course, this is costing massive loads of money to get there, to set the things up and to make the necessary supplies arrive.

KAGAN: And people can go to your Web site?

WEUTS: Oh, yes. They're welcome. And then they can read also about what we're doing in the region, because we're not only present in Sumatra, we're also working in Sri Lanka, we've done some things in Thailand. We will set up small programs in northern India, but we are there.

KAGAN: And that Web site is doctorswithoutborders.org. Dr. Weuts, thank you so much for taking time. I know this is a very busy and demanding time for you. And thank you for the work that Doctors Without Borders is doing.

WEUTS: OK. You're welcome. Thank you.

KAGAN: Also, on this story, dozens of Americans are still anxiously awaiting news from friends and relatives. You're going to hear a Georgia man's account of the last communication he has had with his son. His son a former Marine. And why he still has high hopes.

Plus, one American story from a casual walk down the street to finding himself understood water. You're going to hear how he made it back home in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The weather story here in the U.S. centered in southern California, actually up and down the West Coast. More powerful Pacific storms dumping record rainfall in the L.A. area. It has spawned mudslides and knocked out powers to thousands of homes.

Rob Marciano in, doing weather for us today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, we go back to our tsunami coverage. Throughout our coverage of this disaster we have seen some amazing, unbelievable images. New video this morning from Indonesia may be the most incredible yet. We're going to show you that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The number of dead in the south Asian tsunami rose dramatically again today. The number now, at least 80,000. More than half of those killed are in Indonesia. Two million people are said to be homeless or displaced. Relief efforts gained momentum today across the Indian Ocean rim. Many nations already have pledged close to $100 million in aid. Planes and ships bearing food and medical supplies are beginning to arrive in the region.

President Bush spoke publicly about the tsunami for the first time day. He said the U.S. is joining a coalition of nations to help with relief and reconstruction. The president also urged Americans to make cash donations to private organizations.

We learned within the last hour that actor Jerry Orbach has died. Most recently he was known for his role as detective Lenny Briscoe on the hit TV series "Law and Order." A representative of the show says Orbach died from prostate cancer. He was 69.

We want to go live now to Thailand for more tsunami coverage, Pongna (ph), the province lying just north of the hard-hit resort islands, and that's where we find CNN's Aneesh Raman, where he is located, joining us by videophone -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you.

Here in the southern coastal province of Pongna (ph), the highest death toll in southern Thailand. As of a few hours ago, it stands just over 1,200.

Bodies still being pulled from this utterly devastated beachfront. Today, while we've been here, some four to six bodies were taken out. We're now well over three days after those walls of water came crashing down.

Yesterday, Daryn, we were told by locals you couldn't even stand where we are. The stench of the bodies was just that strong.

They have begun, though, securing this area, stabilizing it. And that's what they hope to do as they move further north to some of those hard-hit hotels such as the Sofitel and other marquee names that are all but gutted.

The waves that came in here really were destructive. The reason being that it is a very lowland area. And there is not many buildings on the shoreline to mitigate the force of these waters.

So when they came in, they were able to go quite far inland. And as they dragged back out with them debris, they brought it back again.

As we were driving around, cars, buses, steel ships miles inland. It gives you a sense of how strong these waves were.

There remain thousands of people, Daryn, still missing. In one hotel we have reports that there are up to 200 guests that are unaccounted for. So people are telling us that the death toll of 1,200 here alone could easily double or triple as we go forward -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And what about the challenges of those that find themselves homeless in that area?

RAMAN: It is. It's not even homeless. Those who were locals worked within the tourism industry in a lot of these areas on Phuket Island, on Phi Phi, and here on the coastline. For them it is a livelihood that has been shattered, in addition to their homes.

They're not only displaced, they don't know what to do. They work for three months. This is peak tourist season in this, one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia. The three months of work funds them for the entire year. So what they do from here is something that the Thai government has as a top priority but something they're only beginning to now grapple with.

Many of them still missing relatives. We've been here all day. One mother sitting next to us on a blanket, now for the fourth day looking out at the devastation behind us. That is where she knows her daughter last was. And everyday she sits here (AUDIO GAP) that her daughter will (AUDIO GAP) And only now (AUDIO GAP) grapple with the (AUDIO GAP) that that (AUDIO GAP). Also, the bodies, Daryn, are (AUDIO GAP). Many (AUDIO GAP) identified. But for a number (AUDIO GAP), closure will never (AUDIO GAP). They will never know truly whether or not their loved ones died (ph).

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE TODAY: Aneesh Raman from Phang Na from the province. Thank you so 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 December 29, 2004 - 10:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ships, planes and trucks full of relief supplies arriving in south Asia. We're going to hear from Doctors Without Borders about where they still need the most help.
Plus, the death toll in Thailand keeps rising. Ahead, a look at the startling number of westerners that were killed.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

Now we begin by taking a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

President Bush speaking out about the tsunami disaster in southern Asia as the death toll rises to more than 80,000. Mr. Bush says an international coalition has been formed to coordinate aid to the region. We'll go live to Sri Lanka and Indonesia just ahead.

In Iraq today, 28 people were killed when an anonymous caller lured police to a booby-trapped house. The U.S. military says at least four of those killed in the explosion were police officers. A Baghdad police official put the number at nine.

Here in the U.S., a California couple is suing the makers of Children's Motrin. They claim the painkiller led to an allergic reaction that caused their 7-year-old daughter to go blind. The company that makes the drug says it's investigating but wouldn't comment on the lawsuit.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

And it is just a minute past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 a.m. on the West Coast. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. Rich Sanchez is on assignment.

We begin with the misery and the mounting death toll from the tsunami disaster. Much of the effort now is on preventing further catastrophe from the spread of disease. Let's update the latest developments.

First, the death toll. It has more than doubled from this time yesterday to more than 80,000. More than half of the deaths are in Indonesia.

Cities and towns littered with debris. Food and water supplies are contaminated. And there is growing concern about outbreaks of diseases that could claim as many lives as the tsunamis. Relief efforts to combat the threat are gaining momentum. Supplies are arriving in areas ravaged by the monstrous waves. Aide groups are calling this the largest relief operation the world has ever seen.

Across the Indian Ocean rim, officials are struggling to bury the dead in an effort to protect the living. Health officials say disease is now the biggest danger. Senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, begins our live coverage this hour from Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn.

That's right, we are in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Just behind me, the western shore of the -- the country over there. We've been hearing the numbers for some time now, talking about the numbers who have died and the numbers who could still die. The goal of health officials here, to try and keep those who survived the tsunami still alive. The concern obviously being epidemics.

Daryn, we've had a chance to sit down and talk to doctors and survivors on the field -- in the field here in Colombo, finding out that it's not hype, it's not hyperbole. There could be some real concerns about epidemics such as cholera, such as dysentery, such as malaria.

Daryn, what could otherwise be routine problems, such as scrapes or abrasions, could turn into real problems if people can't get stitches or antibiotics. These are the stories we're hearing in Sri Lanka. There is significant concern right now about some of these health concerns -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Sanjay, one thing that will probably help will be to get people who want to get out, like tourists. How is the airport set up? How difficult was it for you to get in?

GUPTA: You know, we were actually pretty surprised at how easy it was to get in. Having been in some of these types of situations before, what I expected to see were crowded runways, where pallets of materials waiting to be transported by C-130 military planes.

We didn't see any of that sort of stuff. There's almost a lack of sense of urgency in some ways here in Colombo. I know aid's getting out around the country, but at least here in Colombo we didn't see that. People are able to get out right now. People are able to get in as well -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And so, as you said, you're in the capital of Colombo. How far away are you from the areas hardest hit? And how difficult would it be to get to those areas, not just for you and our correspondents, but for aid and people who are coming to help?

GUPTA: We're -- you know, it's all around. We're on the coast here. If you go 30 kilometers or so further down the coast, just behind me over here, you're going to run into some of the more devastated areas. You could swing all the way around the east side along the coast, about 100 kilometers. Even more devastation in some of those areas.

A couple of concerns. One is that the roads have been functionally sort of eliminated or cut, as they say, in terms of actually getting some of the trucks over there. So what would otherwise be a couple of hours drive, turning into a 12 or 13-hour drive as they're dealing with debris.

A lot of choppers flying overhead to try and get the supplies over there. But, as you asked about the aid specifically, what we're hearing is that it is hard to get the aid to some of the most devastated areas. And when I talk about aid, we're talking about some of the most basic health requirements, clean water, antibiotics, stitches for wounds, things like that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta in Colombo, Sri Lanka, just arriving there. We will be checking back with you in the days to come. Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

KAGAN: Indonesia was closest to the massive undersea earthquake that triggered the tsunami. And today, the government confirmed thousands more deaths there. Our senior Asia correspondent, Mike Chinoy, has been surveying the devastation in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and he joins us live -- Mike.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Well, just in the last 10 minutes we've had a fairly significant aftershock here. The U.S. Geological Survey saying it was 6.1 on the Richter Scale. It was a big jolt. We all felt it.

People in the building where I'm staying ran outside. The folks you can see behind me are refugees, people who've lost their homes. They, too, very frightened. It was an unsettling experience, certainly the biggest aftershock that we felt in the two days that I've been here.

Meanwhile, out and around in Banda Aceh, it's still a very, very grim situation. You still see bodies on many streets not yet removed. There simply don't seem to be enough emergency workers to do that.

A trickle of aid is beginning to come in now. Some of the main international aid agencies like Doctors Without Borders are here. The Australian military brought in a planeload of supplies. But it's still a long way to get those desperately needed supplies to the people who most need them.

And still, the big question mark, the fate of hundreds of thousands of people on the western parts of this territory, along the shoreline closest to the epicenter of the quake. We're just not sure what happened to them. But U.N. officials here are saying it's possible the final death toll could be between 50,000 and 80,000 people -- Daryn. KAGAN: Now, this area that you are, the Aceh province of Indonesia, no strife. Only too well civil war, and a number of guerrillas in that area. What is the status of that situation as people try to get aid to this stricken area?

CHINOY: Well, 30,000 Indonesian soldiers have been fighting against separatist rebels who want to make Aceh independent in Indonesia. It's a long conflict with a very bloody history.

Both sides have called for a cease-fire during this period because of the disaster. But the fact is that this conflict has meant that for the last year or two, at least, Aceh has been off limits to international humanitarian organizations, as well as to foreign journalists like ourselves.

Indonesia's president has announced that those restrictions have been lifted, that Indonesia wants the international help. But with a history of trying to keep outsiders out, it's taken some additional time for the bureaucratic wheels to start getting into motion to allow the people who want to come in to get here and to get their operations going on the ground. And as you drive around Banda Aceh, still you see very, very little evidence of emergency crews out actually operating in the city, let alone in the countryside beyond -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Mike Chinoy from Indonesia. Mike, thank you.

We move on now. More than 1,800 people are confirmed dead in Thailand today. Many are Europeans lured to Phuket -- Phuket Island beaches to escape the winter cold. Here now, Tom Clarke's report from Britain's ITN News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM CLARKE, REPORTER, ITN NEWS (voice-over): The Buddhist temple in Kalak (ph) has become a makeshift morgue. It's here that the unthinkable task of identifying victims of Sunday's tsunami has begun. But where to start when so many are western tourists wearing nothing but bathing suits?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, truly we have a lot of westerners here. Also Burmese and Korean. Westerners make up about 60 percent of the bodies.

CLARKE: Communications with Kalak (ph) were only restored today. Only then did the death toll at this newly-developed resort north of Phuket start to emerge. It's thought a disproportionate number of them will be foreigners.

The waves struck at 10:30 in the morning, just as most tourists were arriving at the beach. As many as 5,000 foreigners were in Kalak (ph). Many staying in large resort hotels like this one. So far, 30 bodies have been recovered from the rubble here, many more remain. Over half its 400,000 residents are still unaccounted for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The door exploded, literally exploded, and the water came into the bedroom. In eight seconds the room was full up. I dived to get to the other side. I don't know how I managed to get out. I really don't know.

CLARKE: Total devastation also on the island of Ko Phi Phi, another tourist hotspot. Eyewitness reports suggest waves that hit here and at Kalak (ph) were larger and more powerful than along other parts of the coast. These beaches are a magnet for European tourists, especially Germans and Swedes.

Today, Swedish officials said 1,500 of their holiday-makers were missing, most of them in Thailand. British tour operators contacted today by Channel 4 News say they're yet to account for most of their clients in resorts outside the town of Phuket. Embassy officials have set up an emergency unit in the town.

TOM CARTER, BRITISH EMBASSY: We have so far confirmed 10 British citizens dead. We have lists that suggest that several hundred at least are injured. Our fear is that both those figures will rise, possibly quite significantly, over the next few days, however.

CLARKE: Relief is beginning to arrive and hope, too. This Swedish toddler was found by locals yesterday. Feared orphaned, he was reunited with his family.

But local people bear the brunt of this tragedy. They've worked hard to make this one of the most desirable destinations in the world. Now many of them are dead, and the survivors face hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage along the west coast of southern Thailand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And later in the hour you're going to hear a first-hand account of the tsunami from another British journalist who was vacationing in southern Thailand with his family.

International aid groups are scrambling to get relief where it's needed. But with the size and scope of the disaster, where do they even begin? I'll speak with an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in just a moment.

A harrowing tale of what passengers on this train experienced. That story's also ahead.

And more information on one survivor story. We'll update you on the condition of supermodel Petra Nemcova.

You're watching CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Doctors Without Borders is one of the international aid groups that has sprung into action in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. According to its Web site, it is air-lifting several tons of emergency supplies to southeast Asia. It also has deployed teams across the stricken region.

Emergency coordinator Dr. Jan Weuts joins us now by phone from Brussels with an update. Dr. Weuts, thank you for being with us.

DR. JAN WEUTS, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: How do you know where to go first with such overwhelming need in so many different places?

WEUTS: Well, closer to the epicenter of the earthquake, which was provoking the tsunami. So the area of north Sumatra has been struck not only by the tsunami, but, first of all, by an earthquake of a never-seen scale.

So we have teams now on the ground. And the city is devastated. Half of the city is completely destroyed, even up to 60 percent. And the people absolutely do not know what happened to them and where to go.

KAGAN: Now, on one hand, you're going to want to treat the wounded, but prevention is such a huge part of this crisis, trying to prevent epidemics from breaking out among the living and those that aren't injured at this point.

WEUTS: Well, we're facing a multitude of problems. In order to increase our operationality on the spot, we first have to see also for to accommodate the health workers, also to make possible for freight to arrive because there's absolutely no fuel in the airports. We have to put up warehouses, otherwise it will not go.

So what we're trying to do now is support still functioning hospitals. And the military is still functioning. There was also a maternity that was still functioning in a global hospital.

Unfortunately, I would say, or fortunately, there's not that many wounded people left. But, of course, then it's very important to try to set up a surveillance system, to have antennas (ph) all over the place that can monitor the morbidity, the presence of the diseases. And then, accordingly, we can react if epidemics might arise.

KAGAN: Of course, your organization, this is the business that you're in, natural disasters, epidemics, armed conflict. You know how to deal with these type of situations, but this scale has to simply be overwhelming.

WEUTS: Well, I must say, I had our team just a half an hour ago on the phone, and they were devastated themselves. They've never seen this, and it's very extremely difficult.

Psychologically, they don't know where to start. But we will get there. We have to get there.

The supplies are in the air. Tomorrow, there's another team arriving. Little by little, we will have to set up massive scale aid efforts, but it's going to take time, logistically spoken.

KAGAN: And for people who want to help your organization, what do you suggest? WEUTS: Well, still the best is to give us money, because we are making quite important expenses. We have two aircraft in the air full time. We have a boat coming.

We have two airplanes that are leaving from Jakarta. We rented a helicopter. We probably think to -- that we will need an extra helicopter. Of course, this is costing massive loads of money to get there, to set the things up and to make the necessary supplies arrive.

KAGAN: And people can go to your Web site?

WEUTS: Oh, yes. They're welcome. And then they can read also about what we're doing in the region, because we're not only present in Sumatra, we're also working in Sri Lanka, we've done some things in Thailand. We will set up small programs in northern India, but we are there.

KAGAN: And that Web site is doctorswithoutborders.org. Dr. Weuts, thank you so much for taking time. I know this is a very busy and demanding time for you. And thank you for the work that Doctors Without Borders is doing.

WEUTS: OK. You're welcome. Thank you.

KAGAN: Also, on this story, dozens of Americans are still anxiously awaiting news from friends and relatives. You're going to hear a Georgia man's account of the last communication he has had with his son. His son a former Marine. And why he still has high hopes.

Plus, one American story from a casual walk down the street to finding himself understood water. You're going to hear how he made it back home in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The weather story here in the U.S. centered in southern California, actually up and down the West Coast. More powerful Pacific storms dumping record rainfall in the L.A. area. It has spawned mudslides and knocked out powers to thousands of homes.

Rob Marciano in, doing weather for us today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, we go back to our tsunami coverage. Throughout our coverage of this disaster we have seen some amazing, unbelievable images. New video this morning from Indonesia may be the most incredible yet. We're going to show you that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The number of dead in the south Asian tsunami rose dramatically again today. The number now, at least 80,000. More than half of those killed are in Indonesia. Two million people are said to be homeless or displaced. Relief efforts gained momentum today across the Indian Ocean rim. Many nations already have pledged close to $100 million in aid. Planes and ships bearing food and medical supplies are beginning to arrive in the region.

President Bush spoke publicly about the tsunami for the first time day. He said the U.S. is joining a coalition of nations to help with relief and reconstruction. The president also urged Americans to make cash donations to private organizations.

We learned within the last hour that actor Jerry Orbach has died. Most recently he was known for his role as detective Lenny Briscoe on the hit TV series "Law and Order." A representative of the show says Orbach died from prostate cancer. He was 69.

We want to go live now to Thailand for more tsunami coverage, Pongna (ph), the province lying just north of the hard-hit resort islands, and that's where we find CNN's Aneesh Raman, where he is located, joining us by videophone -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you.

Here in the southern coastal province of Pongna (ph), the highest death toll in southern Thailand. As of a few hours ago, it stands just over 1,200.

Bodies still being pulled from this utterly devastated beachfront. Today, while we've been here, some four to six bodies were taken out. We're now well over three days after those walls of water came crashing down.

Yesterday, Daryn, we were told by locals you couldn't even stand where we are. The stench of the bodies was just that strong.

They have begun, though, securing this area, stabilizing it. And that's what they hope to do as they move further north to some of those hard-hit hotels such as the Sofitel and other marquee names that are all but gutted.

The waves that came in here really were destructive. The reason being that it is a very lowland area. And there is not many buildings on the shoreline to mitigate the force of these waters.

So when they came in, they were able to go quite far inland. And as they dragged back out with them debris, they brought it back again.

As we were driving around, cars, buses, steel ships miles inland. It gives you a sense of how strong these waves were.

There remain thousands of people, Daryn, still missing. In one hotel we have reports that there are up to 200 guests that are unaccounted for. So people are telling us that the death toll of 1,200 here alone could easily double or triple as we go forward -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And what about the challenges of those that find themselves homeless in that area?

RAMAN: It is. It's not even homeless. Those who were locals worked within the tourism industry in a lot of these areas on Phuket Island, on Phi Phi, and here on the coastline. For them it is a livelihood that has been shattered, in addition to their homes.

They're not only displaced, they don't know what to do. They work for three months. This is peak tourist season in this, one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia. The three months of work funds them for the entire year. So what they do from here is something that the Thai government has as a top priority but something they're only beginning to now grapple with.

Many of them still missing relatives. We've been here all day. One mother sitting next to us on a blanket, now for the fourth day looking out at the devastation behind us. That is where she knows her daughter last was. And everyday she sits here (AUDIO GAP) that her daughter will (AUDIO GAP) And only now (AUDIO GAP) grapple with the (AUDIO GAP) that that (AUDIO GAP). Also, the bodies, Daryn, are (AUDIO GAP). Many (AUDIO GAP) identified. But for a number (AUDIO GAP), closure will never (AUDIO GAP). They will never know truly whether or not their loved ones died (ph).

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE TODAY: Aneesh Raman from Phang Na from the province. Thank you so much.

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