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In Jerusalem Bomb Blast, 13 Dead, Including Six Babies

Aired August 09, 2001 - 08:53   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.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: We have more information now on that bomb blast in central Jerusalem in at a Restaurant during the lunchtime hour. We now can tell you that 13 are dead, six of them babies. Also 74 injured.

We'd like to go back to Jerrold Kessel now for more information. He's in Jerusalem -- Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Vince, yes, confirmation of that just given to CNN by the head of the Medical Relief Services, saying that 13 people have been killed, of whom six are infants, babies under one. Then he corrected himself and said, he's not sure of precise age. But certainly five or six very small infants who were there with their mother. We do seem some of the chairs, the baby chairs in that pizza parlor.

There's the -- now the bomb squad has gone and the demolition experts. They have experts who been in there and were examining whether there might have been more bombs on the side have gone, and now two other sets of experts have moved in, lead forensic experts, and a group of -- always on the scene, very grizzly task they have, rabbis and other religious officials who task to pick up parts of bodies, skin and so forth, because by Jewish religious role, every part of body must be buried to honor the dead. And this is their job, to go in afterwards and try to pick up all parts of bodies. Now they have Moved into the scene, along with experts.

The figures given by the medical lead services, some 13 killed, some more than 70 people injured, of whom at least 12 are in serious condition, and also those fatalities five or six according to the chairman of the medical relief services were infants, around a year or so old.

So a very grizzly and very horrific scene here, as we also get another detail that this place, according to the director of the medical lead services, they're absolute sure it was a suicide bomber, and it's not clear from what we can ascertain whether the number 13 dead include the suicide bomber. But definitely the officials are saying that it was a suicide bombing.

CELLINI: Jerrold Kessel from Jerusalem, thank you for that update.

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