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CNN Sunday Morning

Bomb Blast Kills 9 in Northern Israel

Aired August 04, 2002 - 10:01   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.
LARRY SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: As we've mentioned, a very big story today, the additional situations happened, too, over in Israel. "The New York Times" reporting -- actually, moving on. It has been mentioned, as we've mentioned, it's been a day of bloodshed and bitter reprisals in the Middle East. The most recent incident occurring in Jerusalem's Old City.

Three people were shot dead in a firefight between Palestinian gunman and Israeli police. Hours earlier nine people killed in a powerful bomb blast aboard a bus in Northern Israel. We get the details from CNN's Senior International Correspondent Walter Rodgers.

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WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Israel bus 631, from Haifa to Safat (ph) was coming down this road in this direction. It had just pulled off, stopped at this bus stop when there was a horrendous explosion.

Six hours later, there's still the faint whiff of scorched human flesh in the air. Fire hoses were unable to wash away all the dried blood, which is still here beside road. Six hours later, shards of glass still in the road.

Immediately after the explosion, the injured, those who survived that horrific bus blast, were laid in a ditch, here, along the side of the road. The blast was so severe, again, that six hours later, there are still whiffs of smoke from the charred earth, fire set aside the road. That charred patch there extends back 30 meters.

Avraham Goldberg was one of the SACA (ph) members charged with the responsibility of cleaning up the carnage.

AVRAHAM GOLDBERG, ISRAELI RECOVERY WORKER: According to the Jewish law, every bit of remains of body, every drop of blood, has to be buried with the body, as far as possible. To combine (ph) that together by such an unfortunate case like today's case, only whole limbs will be tried to identify and put together with the bodies. But all the little bits and pieces, which are impossible to identify, we put them in sacks and bury them all together. But they all have to come to burial eventually.

RODGERS: The bomb exploded in the middle of the bus, bus 361. Those most likely to have been spared were seated closest to the driver or in the very rear of the bus. At least 49 people were in hospital. The death toll has been rising throughout the morning and afternoon.

Izzadine al Qassam, a militant wing of Hamas, has claimed responsibility. They said it was revenge for Israel's bombing and the killing of an Islamic military leader of Hamas, Salah Shehada. He was killed on July 22, as reports from other people when an Israeli bomb fell on his headquarters, or his home, in Gaza.

Meanwhile, in hospital, the wounded had a difficult time make their way there in this remote section of Northern Galilee. There simply were not enough buses to get people into hospitals. And the suffering, obviously, was intense. Worst for Israel, of course, as it is a painful reminder the Israelis have yet to find a viable defense against Palestinian terrorism if, indeed, such a defense exists.

Indeed, it is another demonstration that, despite Israeli military incursions into the West Bank, the Palestinian terrorist operations remain very operational.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, at the Meron Junction in Northern Israel.

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