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American Morning

Tragedy at Sago Mine; Breaking News: Deadly Attacks in Iraq

Aired January 05, 2006 - 06:30   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody.
In West Virginia, a community is in mourning. Families are looking for answers, while one lone survivor clings to live in a hospital. Miles is standing by from the site of the Sago Mine tragedy. He's got the very latest for us.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in intensive care this morning. A serious stroke has left the leader gravely ill. We've got details just ahead.

And another deadly attack in Iraq to tell you about, the second one in one day. And, again, dozens are killed. We've got a live report from Iraq ahead this morning.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Once again, we've got a split show for you, and we've got many developments on many fronts. Let's begin with Miles who is reporting for us again from West Virginia.

Miles, good morning.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad, from Sago Mine number one. This morning, a lot of focus on the sole survivor. The amazing story of 27-year-old Randy McCloy, who we're told by friends and family members, 27 years old, in great physical condition, more likely to have a glass of milk than a soda pop. And who knows? Maybe that is what saved his life through this horrendous ordeal.

At the hospital where he is in Morgantown, West Virginia, we find our own CNN's Jonathan Freed.

Jonathan, how are things going there this morning?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.

I can tell you that Randal McCloy has been here for just over 24 hours. He was brought here early yesterday morning. And we have an update from the hospital as recently as one hour ago. And the hospital says that he still remains in critical condition.

Now, yesterday when he was brought in here, they were saying that he was suffering from severe dehydration and a collapsed lung, among some other things. But last night in an exclusive interview on "LARRY KING LIVE," McCloy's doctor updated his condition, saying that additional injuries had become apparent.

Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. LARRY ROBERTS, TREATING RANDY MCCLOY, JR.: He suffered obviously a prolonged period of time in the mine, suffered inadequate oxygen, supply to the tissues -- we call that anoxic injuries -- to the brain. We're now recognizing that it involves his heart, his liver, the kidneys, and some multiple organs are involved. And so he's in critical shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREED: Now, Miles, we are expecting a news conference to be held at the hospital here today around midday to update his condition -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Jonathan Freed at the hospital, West Virginia University Hospital, in Morgantown. Thank you very much.

In just a little while, we'll talk to one of the doctors there who has been involved in treating Randy McCloy, and we'll get an update for you on that.

Also we remind our viewers, "LARRY KING LIVE," you saw a little portion of that in Jonathan Freed's piece. "LARRY KING LIVE" airs weeknights, 9:00 p.m., right here on CNN. We invite you to tune in for that -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Miles, thanks.

We've just gotten word that there has been another deadly attack in Iraq this morning. At least 50 people killed in Ramadi.

Let's get right back to Michael Holmes. He's live in Baghdad for us.

Michael, you were telling us about two attacks. These are more details on the second attack. What do you know now?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. This is now officially, Soledad, the bloodiest day in Iraq since the elections were held last month.

The Ramadi attack, we were telling you about earlier, we had no official figures. We now do have some casualty figures. We are told by our sources at least 50 people have been killed, and at least 50 others have been wounded in this attack.

Now, Ramadi is a town that's often the scene of violence as it was today. It was about five minutes to 11:00 local time in the morning. Police or potential police recruits were lining up outside a building in the eastern part of the city. They were lining up for screening processes. They wanted to be part of the new police force in the very rested (ph) al-Anbar province. Now, a suicide bomber apparently mixed in alongside them, detonated the explosives.

Now, this is where it's still a little bit hazy. The witnesses on the ground are saying that they think there were two explosions. Police are saying there was one.

Nonetheless, 50 people are dead. And that's just in that explosion.

There was the other one also that took place in Karbala, which cost many other lives as well.

S. O'BRIEN: Michael Holmes with an update for us from Baghdad. Michael, thanks for the information. As you say, the deadliest day now on record. Terrible news to report.

Other stories making news across the world as well. Let's get right to Kelly Wallace with an update.

Hey, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, there, Soledad.

Another top story we are following this morning, a shaky political climate in the Middle East as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffers a massive stroke. Sharon is currently at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he underwent more than nine hours of brain surgery. Doctors were trying to stop the bleeding in his brain. Before all of this, Sharon was scheduled to have surgery today for a hole in his heart. Right now Sharon's deputy is acting as prime minister. Many Israelis see Prime Minister Sharon as a driving force behind achieving a Middle East peace deal.

Some top politicians are scrambling to cut apparent ties with Jack Abramoff. The former lobbyist pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges in Florida one day after entering a guilty plea in Washington. This is all part of a plea deal that could cut Abramoff's jail time and will include Abramoff cooperating in a federal investigation that could involve top members of Congress.

A football Hall of Famer is jumping into the race for Pennsylvania governor. Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann announced his candidacy Wednesday. The four-time Super Bowl champion is seeking the Republican nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN SWANN, FORMER PITTSBURGH STEELERS FOOTBALL PLAYER: I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974 to play football. Tonight, I'm drafted by Pennsylvania to be governor of this great state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And if elected, Swann would become Pennsylvania's first black governor. And in sports news, the Texas Longhorns are enjoying their first national title since 1970. It was down to the final play in last night's Rose Bowl. The top-ranked USC Trojans upset by Vince Young. With just 19 seconds left on the clock, he scrambled for an eight-yard touchdown on fourth down. Final score: 41-38.

One of our biggest sports fans, Chad Myers, who is now back in Atlanta.

Chad, did you stay up late to watch the game?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No. I waited until about 8:30. They didn't even start it at that point. I thought, 'Oh, I need to go to sleep.' But congratulations for Texas and the Big Twelve, where I went to school.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Chad Myers, welcome back. We're glad to have you back on the program, and we're sorry about the lack of sleep, which you now face once again.

MYERS: All right, I'm here for good this time.

M. O'BRIEN: All right.

Coming up on the program, we're going to talk to the man who organized an emotional rally last night at the Sago Baptist Church. So many emotions have gone in and out of that church and around and over the past few days. And we'll ask him how things went and how everybody is doing around here after a short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Once again the Sago Baptist Church last night, the scene of an outpouring of emotions. This time a different sort of emotion, replacing a lot of that anger and all of the recriminations which came after that horrible three-hour miscommunication when people were celebrating what appeared to be an amazing survival story of 12 miners. In fact, of course, it was just the opposite.

That emotional outpouring last night was meant to help miners begin the process of grieving for those who were lost and moving on with what is a very dangerous line of work.

Shon Sublett is the miner who works in a nearby mine, same company, who had the idea for this outpouring and for this service.

First of all, Shon, how did you get the idea, and how did you think it went off?

SHON SUBLETT, ORGANIZED VIGIL FOR MINERS: I've seen a few of these on TV before, and I thought it would be a good idea just to hold it for the men that were lost underground and for the one survivor and wish him the best.

M. O'BRIEN: What was the mood there? What were people saying to you? And how are they feeling right now?

SUBLETT: They were sad. I mean, they were pretty devastated to hear the news a second time that they lost their loved ones and their friends and the men they worked with for through the years.

M. O'BRIEN: How much do you think -- I mean, it's such a sad thing regardless. But how much do you think that miscommunication makes matters worse, if at all?

SUBLETT: I'd say it probably made it a great deal worse as far as really tearing people's emotions apart. I mean, you go from the highest high to the lowest low. And, I mean, they just -- I mean, it really tears you apart. It tore us apart underground when we were working got the news.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. I want to talk you about being underground through all of this in just a second. But you heard the apology yesterday from, you know, who is ultimately your boss. So...

SUBLETT: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. And, you know, I don't expect you -- he is your boss after all. But nevertheless, do you think it was adequate?

SUBLETT: Yes, I think it was pretty adequate. I think he did a good job apologizing. He said he'd like to apologize to the families, you know, personally, one on one.

M. O'BRIEN: Do you think that would be a good idea?

SUBLETT: Yes, I think it would be. I'm not trying to put him on the spot. If he wants to do that, that's fine.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. So, what has it been like? You were literally the night after that very night of the explosion -- here they were trapped under this mine -- you went to work at another mine.

SUBLETT: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: Your wife just a moment ago described that as horrifying for her. What was that like for you?

SUBLETT: It put a lot of thought process, I mean, to really that you're going to go underground. And you're thinking, well, are you going to be the next? Are you going to be trapped in a mine one day? Or, you know, what your family -- how is your family going to live? And how are these families going to live after they've lost their loved ones?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. What was the conversation like among your fellow crew workers on that night? It must have been incredible.

SUBLETT: They couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe something like that could even happen around here. It's just -- I mean, they were beside theirselves. They just didn't know what to do. They wanted to help. There were a couple of guys that came up from the mines as soon as they got off day shift. They brought their lights and their belts and wanted to go in. Of course, they weren't trained with the apparatus, and they wouldn't let them nowhere near.

M. O'BRIEN: You were also underground through this whole process of the news coming out that they were OK and then learning just the opposite.

SUBLETT: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: It's hard to imagine what that was like being underground through all of that.

SUBLETT: Oh, we were wanting to be there for them, and then come to find out about 3:00 in the morning that we lost them all but one. And that was just -- we were devastated again. I mean, we went from the lowest low to the highest high to the lowest low again. And it just ripped our hearts apart.

M. O'BRIEN: What's it like -- what's it going to be like going forward? Does it give you any doubts about what you do for a living? You've committed to this. You're a fire boss, and it's your career.

SUBLETT: Yes. Yes, I'm pretty well committed to it. I mean, I don't think I'm going to back out and go somewhere else. And the money is good. You get to work around a good bunch of guys. And it's more of a brotherhood than anything, and you want to stand beside them and be with them.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. Shon Sublett, thank you very much for your time. Good to have you drop by.

SUBLETT: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: The brotherhood -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that's tough. All right, Miles, thanks.

Let's talk business now. And Andy, of course, continues on this topic ahead this morning.

What do you got?

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Soledad, mining is certainly a dangerous business. But how does it stack up against other occupations? We'll get to that next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Andy is going to be "Minding Your Business" in just a moment. First, though, a check of the morning headlines. Kelly has that.

Good morning again.

WALLACE: Good morning again, Soledad. And we are beginning in Iraq, where a staggering death toll is taking place. At least 90 people are dead in two separate suicide attacks. At least 40 people were killed in a bombing near two Shia shrines in Karbala. Karbala is about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Meantime in another attack, this one in Ramadi, about 50 people were killed this morning. Iraqi police recruits, the apparent target there. Today's violence coming on the heels of another deadly day on Wednesday when at least 44 people were killed in separate attacks. One of those attacks included a bombing during a funeral procession.

A meeting of former bigwigs today at the White House all focusing on Iraq. President Bush is soliciting advice from several former secretaries of state and defense, some Republicans, some Democrats. They'll discuss the president's plan for victory in Iraq and the challenges that remain.

Political uncertainty in Israel this morning; this, after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent brain surgery after suffering a massive stroke. His illness leaves a vacuum in the leadership spot for his new political party. Israel holding elections in March. A live report from Jerusalem is just ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Remembering the victims in that mining accident in West Virginia. A candlelight vigil was held last night in the small community hit so hard by the tragedy. Twelve of the miners died. The doctor treating the lone survivor, Randy McCloy, Jr., says he is critical but stable condition.

And a California couple under arrest for leaving their young children home alone over the New Year's weekend. What makes this story worse, their dogs were at a pet sitter. The children spent one night alone before their grandmother alerted police. The boys, ages 10 and 5, say their parents didn't even say good-bye, and that the younger boy is autistic. The parents are charged with felony child endangerment.

Chad Myers back with us, keeping a tab on the forecast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk business, the coal mining industry. We've said it several times now. A dangerous business. How does it compare to other businesses, though? Andy is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

Could I use the word business (INAUDIBLE) an intro to you?

SERWER: I like that.

S. O'BRIEN: OK, good.

SERWER: I'm a business kind of guy, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Good.

SERWER: It is a risky occupation obviously, but not necessarily the most dangerous of jobs. Take a look at this list of jobs from the government in terms of how dangerous they are. And, sadly, this is a deaths per hundred thousand.

Actually, logging, as you might expect, is dangerous and the most dangerous over the past several years. Pilots -- now, this is not mostly commercial airline pilots. This is mostly bush pilots, crop dusters and that thing. Fishing, we know all about. Steel workers. Trash collectors. Miners are up there as well, as well as farmers and ranchers.

Now, some other facts here about mining and miners. The AP reports that the average miner in West Virginia makes about $55,000 a year. That compares to an average overall salary in West Virginia of 34,000. So you can see that it's a very well paying job in that part of the world. And as Miles said earlier, the industry is on a big upswing, and they're looking to hire more and more employees. So, overall this accident probably won't hinder that process in any way.

The International Coal Group, which is the company, of course, that owns the Sago Mine, has set up a fund. And you can see here, it's been under pressure. It went public in November. And it's had some problems apparently, and the stock is down.

The company set up a $2 million fund for the miners. The number that you can call to contribute to that fund is 212-826-2174. Wilbur Ross, the man behind International Coal Group, is going to be a guest, and you're going to be speaking with him, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, we'll be talking to him a little bit later this morning.

SERWER: And it will be interesting to ask if he has contributed to the fund personally.

S. O'BRIEN: And $2 million, I mean, it sounds like a lot, but divided with 12 families, and they have children. I'm not sure, you know...

SERWER: Right.

S. O'BRIEN: ... really at the end of the day if that's going to be the final money. And many of the families are saying lawsuit already. We'll see how that turns out.

SERWER: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Andy, thank you.

SERWER: Thanks.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get right back out to Miles. He's in West Virginia this morning.

Hey, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Hey, Soledad. Coming up, we're going to check in with one of the doctors who in Morgantown, West Virginia, is treating 26-year-old, Randy McCloy, the sole survivor. How is he doing this morning? We'll find out in just a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Be sure to check out our Web site, CNN.com, for the latest information on this morning's top stories, including this one: Ariel Sharon hospitalized. We've been telling you this all morning. His condition is reported grave after he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. As Israel's head of the Centrist Party, you can imagine that this now throws the political landscape into some turmoil. We're going to be following his condition throughout the day.

Also, this story as well at CNN.com, one of the more popular stories this morning. A question is going to court now in Rome. Did Jesus exist? The court case involves two 70-year-old men who were seminary classmates years ago and have been rivals ever since. The plaintiff claims that he's already -- he's an atheist. He says he's already proven that Jesus did not exist, and now the defendant must prove the existence of Christ, it basically says. A judge will decide if Christ exists. We'll see what happens in that case.

If you're about to head out the door to work or school, you can stay in touch with CNN and AMERICAN MORNING. Just log on to CNN.com, and our pipeline video service you can catch live commercial-free news updates there. It's all there at CNN.com/pipeline.

As we approach the top of the hour, it's time to get a look at the forecast again. Let's get right back to Chad Myers at the weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Chad. I'm Miles O'Brien reporting live from the Sago Mine number one on the day after yet another outpouring of emotion at the Sago Baptist Church.

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