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CNN Live Event/Special

America Under Attack:

Aired September 13, 2001 - 06:08   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.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: But first this, national correspondent Gary Tuchman has gone where police and firefighters, doctors and nurses and emergency people only, they have gone into the heart of this terrorist attack there in New York City.

Watch this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you first of all, there are no cameras allowed at ground zero and to be frank, I am not sure reporters are allowed at ground zero either.

However, a very kind soul, a medical professional decided to take me along to the site, wanted me to see it. Wanted me to be able to tell America, the world, about what happened because she just thought that it was so horrible.

And I have to tell you something, this is much, much, much worse than I possibly would have imagined. And we've been here for two days now just four blocks away. You can't tell how bad it is until you are right on the site. And let me tell you first of all, what I saw.

There are at least 10 blocks in each direction of heavy damage. It is not just the World Trade Center complex. It is hundreds of other businesses that have been heavily destroyed, moderately destroyed, or slightly destroyed.

Some of the businesses that have been destroyed -- a Burger King, a well-known department store next to the World Trade Center called Century 21, J&R Music World is a well-known record store and computer and electronics store that has damage.

For blocks and blocks, about a half a mile from north to south, there is heavy debris in the streets, there are cars tipped over, trucks tipped over, just lining in the streets.

It reminds me of a ride at Universal Studios called earthquake. And when you go on the Earthquake ride, everything flips over and things catch fire and there is debris and sand, and that's what it looked like to me when I got there.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Obviously a big task ahead for those rescuers in New York, and also in Washington, trying to find any survivors in the Pentagon.

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