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CNN Saturday Morning News
Investigators Check Building involved in Chicago High Rise Fire
Aired October 18, 2003 - 09:01 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators are expected to make their way through a downtown Chicago office building today looking for clues in connection with a fatal fire. And for the very latest, we head to Chicago now and our bureau chief there, Jeff Flock. Jeff, good morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Heidi, good morning to you.
Indeed, investigators are working hard today to try and figure out what went wrong here yesterday afternoon. I want to show you the latest pictures from what used to be called the Brunswick Building. It is now a building owned by the county but houses both city, county, and state offices.
That's the 12th floor that's you're looking at. That is where the fire broke out yesterday late afternoon. Want to show you the pictures of what it looked like then.
We checked on the fire. You know, they said initially it was under control, only three injuries. But then they began to go through the building and search. It was on a -- in a stairwell on a section of the 22nd floor that they began to find bodies. At one point, as many as 11 bodies found there, all of them in serious or critical condition, many of them not breathing.
The folks on the scene said it was an incredible scene.
Witnesses that we talked to, some folks from inside as well as firefighters, said they thought everything was fine, but it was when they began to make that sweep of the building, that's when they encountered the buildings.
At one point, 135 firefighters fought this blaze, and it was interesting how it unfolded, because you saw a number of firefighters initially, then they began to fall away. Then ambulances began showing up outside the building, and it was then we realized that there was something more going on.
This is located, by the way, right in the center of downtown Chicago. Unusual to see flames and smoke in the Loop of Chicago. Perhaps off to the right of it you see what is known as the tallest church in the world, it's the Chicago Temple, a methodist church, 22 floors high. It's in "The Guinness Book of World Records." And that's the Daley Center off to the right of that, that big large building named after the original Mayor Daley here in Chicago.
So right down, Heidi, in the center of Chicago's Loop. And again, investigators working hard today to figure out what went wrong. That's the latest.
COLLINS: I'm sure they are. All right, Jeff Flock, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Fire>
Aired October 18, 2003 - 09:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators are expected to make their way through a downtown Chicago office building today looking for clues in connection with a fatal fire. And for the very latest, we head to Chicago now and our bureau chief there, Jeff Flock. Jeff, good morning.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CHICAGO BUREAU CHIEF: Heidi, good morning to you.
Indeed, investigators are working hard today to try and figure out what went wrong here yesterday afternoon. I want to show you the latest pictures from what used to be called the Brunswick Building. It is now a building owned by the county but houses both city, county, and state offices.
That's the 12th floor that's you're looking at. That is where the fire broke out yesterday late afternoon. Want to show you the pictures of what it looked like then.
We checked on the fire. You know, they said initially it was under control, only three injuries. But then they began to go through the building and search. It was on a -- in a stairwell on a section of the 22nd floor that they began to find bodies. At one point, as many as 11 bodies found there, all of them in serious or critical condition, many of them not breathing.
The folks on the scene said it was an incredible scene.
Witnesses that we talked to, some folks from inside as well as firefighters, said they thought everything was fine, but it was when they began to make that sweep of the building, that's when they encountered the buildings.
At one point, 135 firefighters fought this blaze, and it was interesting how it unfolded, because you saw a number of firefighters initially, then they began to fall away. Then ambulances began showing up outside the building, and it was then we realized that there was something more going on.
This is located, by the way, right in the center of downtown Chicago. Unusual to see flames and smoke in the Loop of Chicago. Perhaps off to the right of it you see what is known as the tallest church in the world, it's the Chicago Temple, a methodist church, 22 floors high. It's in "The Guinness Book of World Records." And that's the Daley Center off to the right of that, that big large building named after the original Mayor Daley here in Chicago.
So right down, Heidi, in the center of Chicago's Loop. And again, investigators working hard today to figure out what went wrong. That's the latest.
COLLINS: I'm sure they are. All right, Jeff Flock, thanks so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Fire>
