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CNN Saturday Morning News
Explosion at Russian Rock Festival Kills at Least 10
Aired July 05, 2003 - 08:00 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another top story we're following for you now, explosions have rocked a festival on the outskirts of Moscow and police believe it may be the work of terrorists.
Joining us on the phone with the very latest is Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty -- Jill, what kind of festival was this where this explosion took place, or series of explosions took place?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a very popular rock festival that's held almost, I believe, every year. It's called Wings. And it's held out by the Tushinski Air Base. That's on the northwest side of Moscow. And at this point, as you can imagine, there is a lot of chaos and reports coming in. But we can definitely confirm the fact that at least one, if not three explosions took place and the latest figures coming from the interior ministry are that 10 people were killed. However, there are reports coming from Interfax News Agency citing police sources who say that 14 or 15 were killed.
In any case, we can tell you that the prosecutor general is now considering it terrorism. An investigation has started. Ambulances are at the scene, at least 20 of them, and President Putin has been briefed and informed about what's been going on.
WHITFIELD: And, Jill, are police officials that you're communicating with able to tell you anything about witnesses, what witnesses account as happening?
DOUGHERTY: Well, there were initial reports, but, again, these are unconfirmed. We'll try to find out exactly what the real case is. But there were reports that a woman suicide bomber was stopped at the entrance to this rock festival and then that is when, apparently, she detonated the explosions.
Again, we cannot confirm that. This, however, would be very similar to what's been going on over the past month or so down in the breakaway republic of Chechnya. Several cases in the past just months of women suicide bombers who strapped bombs to their bodies and blew them up and took many, many victims. So that is of great concern.
But, again, that is not officially confirmed. As soon as we can find out what the true story is, we will tell you.
WHITFIELD: And, Jill, because of this recent spate of violence involving Chechnya and other outlying places, was there already sort of a heightened sense of security in places where a large number of people converged, such as in this rock festival?
DOUGHERTY: You know, there has been. In fact, all over Moscow, police are constantly stopping cars and trucks and checking in the backs to find out what they have there. Many, many places you have to go through magnetometers where they check you for, you know, guns, explosive devices, etc.
We don't know exactly at this point whether they put people at that concert through any type of mags to find out whether they had anything. But that would be an immediate concern.
However, you know, again, if this report is correct about the woman, she was coming up to the entrance to this festival and so perhaps she never even made it through the actual entrance and into the festival.
There also is another report, again unconfirmed, that one other explosion took place nearby, near a market that is located near that air field.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jill Dougherty, for helping us sort out all the pieces of this breaking story.
So far, early reports are, unconfirmed reports, according to Jill, 10 dead, 10 reported dead and at least 20 injured from this series of explosions, at least three explosions taking place at this rock festival, which is a youth festival just outside of Moscow -- Kris.
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 July 5, 2003 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another top story we're following for you now, explosions have rocked a festival on the outskirts of Moscow and police believe it may be the work of terrorists.
Joining us on the phone with the very latest is Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty -- Jill, what kind of festival was this where this explosion took place, or series of explosions took place?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a very popular rock festival that's held almost, I believe, every year. It's called Wings. And it's held out by the Tushinski Air Base. That's on the northwest side of Moscow. And at this point, as you can imagine, there is a lot of chaos and reports coming in. But we can definitely confirm the fact that at least one, if not three explosions took place and the latest figures coming from the interior ministry are that 10 people were killed. However, there are reports coming from Interfax News Agency citing police sources who say that 14 or 15 were killed.
In any case, we can tell you that the prosecutor general is now considering it terrorism. An investigation has started. Ambulances are at the scene, at least 20 of them, and President Putin has been briefed and informed about what's been going on.
WHITFIELD: And, Jill, are police officials that you're communicating with able to tell you anything about witnesses, what witnesses account as happening?
DOUGHERTY: Well, there were initial reports, but, again, these are unconfirmed. We'll try to find out exactly what the real case is. But there were reports that a woman suicide bomber was stopped at the entrance to this rock festival and then that is when, apparently, she detonated the explosions.
Again, we cannot confirm that. This, however, would be very similar to what's been going on over the past month or so down in the breakaway republic of Chechnya. Several cases in the past just months of women suicide bombers who strapped bombs to their bodies and blew them up and took many, many victims. So that is of great concern.
But, again, that is not officially confirmed. As soon as we can find out what the true story is, we will tell you.
WHITFIELD: And, Jill, because of this recent spate of violence involving Chechnya and other outlying places, was there already sort of a heightened sense of security in places where a large number of people converged, such as in this rock festival?
DOUGHERTY: You know, there has been. In fact, all over Moscow, police are constantly stopping cars and trucks and checking in the backs to find out what they have there. Many, many places you have to go through magnetometers where they check you for, you know, guns, explosive devices, etc.
We don't know exactly at this point whether they put people at that concert through any type of mags to find out whether they had anything. But that would be an immediate concern.
However, you know, again, if this report is correct about the woman, she was coming up to the entrance to this festival and so perhaps she never even made it through the actual entrance and into the festival.
There also is another report, again unconfirmed, that one other explosion took place nearby, near a market that is located near that air field.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Jill Dougherty, for helping us sort out all the pieces of this breaking story.
So far, early reports are, unconfirmed reports, according to Jill, 10 dead, 10 reported dead and at least 20 injured from this series of explosions, at least three explosions taking place at this rock festival, which is a youth festival just outside of Moscow -- Kris.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
