Return to Transcripts main page

Breaking News

Explosion at Ohio Fairgrounds Leaves Three Dead

Aired July 29, 2001 - 20:15   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to Ohio to the Medina County Fairgrounds, where we told you a moment ago, we are reporting there was an explosion at the fairgrounds that left three people dead, at least a dozen people badly hurt.

Patty Lee (ph) from our affiliate station WJW-TV joins us now on the telephone. Patty, what happened?

PATTY LEE (PH), CNN CORRESPONDENT: About 6:20 this evening an antique steam engine was pulling up -- this is a perennial attraction at this fair, been around for 30 years. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) engine holding about 25 people, sitting around watching it. All of the sudden it stopped, there's no warning of this explosion, and witnesses say -- eye-witnesses say there was such a loud boom, it sounded like the world was coming to an end.

All of a sudden, they see that people had been badly injured. Many have third degree burns. Their children seriously injured. Two police officers. Nobody is really quite sure what has happened at this point. They're just trying to get people to the appropriate hospitals, a lot of people have been life flighted to area hospitals. Some to Cleveland. And that is what we know right now.

FRAZIER: Patty, when that boom went off, were there pieces of the train engine flying through the air at people?

LEE (PH): A lot of shrapnel in the air that caused many of these injuries. Obviously, right now, we can't break down who and how many people were injured, but definitely shrapnel was one of the serious causes of injury.

FRAZIER: How many people does it take to operate that, and are they all OK?

LEE (PH): That's what people don't know right now. Certainly, authorities don't know that right now, and people in charge of this antique train have not come forward yet.

What we do understand, there are at least two people necessary to drive this engine. And we have been told is that two people may have been the ones that were fatally injured.

FRAZIER: Well, thanks for bringing us up to date on that. Patty Lee (ph) on that from Cleveland. We will keep you up to date on that as more details come in over the course of the evening.

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