Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Hamas Claims Responsibility for Bus Bombing in Israel

Aired August 04, 2002 - 08:02   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning with a new wave of violence in the Middle East. There have been two attacks that began with a bombing that killed at least nine people on a bus in northern Israel, and CNN's Walter Rodgers is now at the scene of that bombing to give us the very latest on that.

What can you tell us, Walter?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Catherine. The Israeli bus 361 was coming down this road, traveling from Haifa to the west to Safad (ph) in that direction. Bus 361 stopped at this bus stop, and suddenly there was a horrendous explosion. The bus ripped apart, the entire right side was blown out, the roof taken off the top. Along this road, there were puddles of blood, there's still dry blood there, chards of glass over there, more dry blood there.

The wounded, as I say, were laid in this ditch until a fire department truck could come and put out the bus -- the fire aboard the blazing bus, and until the wounded could come -- could be taken to hospital.

At this point, we know of at least nine dead, two critically wounded. It took six hours to clean up the carnage. Again, chards of glass still in the road. If you look over there, there are wisps of smoke. There's a 40-meter stretch from where you see that smoke, going back to the intersection at the Meron Junction here in the Galilee.

I spoke with Avraham Goldberg, one of the Zacah (ph) people responsible for cleaning up the carnage, and I asked him what he saw as soon as he got to this scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVRAHAM GOLDBERG, ISRAELI RECOVERY WORKER: When I arrived, the last wounded was still being taken.

RODGERS: And what was that like? What did you see?

GOLDBERG: I didn't actually see any of the wounded. I just saw the ambulances parked around. As I got here, there would be, I think, the last ambulance, already taken the rest of the wounded.

RODGERS: As an Israeli citizen, how do you feel about this latest terror attack?

GOLDBERG: As much as I feel about the previous attacks -- it's terrible, and it has to come to an end.

RODGERS: And how would you recommend that?

GOLDBERG: If you ask my opinion, my personal opinion, Mr. Arafat has to leave the area. It's only since he came to this area it all started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: The bomb exploded right in the middle of bus 361. Those who survived the attack, and there were survivors, were in the front of the bus, closest to the driver, and in the back of the bus. The greatest number of fatalities were right in the middle of the bus. We could see the bus, the right side of the bus was blown out, the roof was taken off, or much of it was ripped apart, indeed. Those who were aboard the bus, who survived the blast, were literally lifted through the top of the bus, and then taken to hospital.

The nearest hospitals is Safad (ph). There are 49 wounded. The death toll, as I said, stands at nine, but it could clime higher, because there are at least two critically wounded.

Getting to the -- the people to hospital was no small task, in and of itself. The reason being, this is a remote section of the northern Galilee; there simply weren't enough ambulances at first.

Nonetheless, the clean up is now nearly completed, but it will be some time before all the body parts can be removed from that terrible explosion aboard the bus. Izzedine al Qassam, the militant wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the explosion. Still not clear whether it was a bus bomb or a bomb planted aboard the bus, that is to say, a suicide bomber, or a bomb planted aboard the bus, although the Israeli police are speculating that it was indeed, a suicide bomber.

Back to you, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you, Walter.

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