ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Morning News

Pier in Philadelphia Collapses, Killing Three

Aired May 19, 2000 - 9:04 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: With rescue efforts still under way, authorities in Philadelphia have begun trying to figure out just what caused a deadly pier to collapse. It happened at a new outdoor nightclub on the Delaware River.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us now, she's on the scene, she's got the details for us now -- Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, police officials do confirm it appears people are missing. They received a number of calls from folks overnight saying friends and family had failed to return home. A Coast Guard captain has described this whole operation as very delicate.

Right now, you may be able to see the crane just behind me. Now that is an Army Corps of Engineers. Right now they are assessing the situation, trying to determine how sturdy this structure is and figure out what their next move will be. They're either deciding whether to send down cameras all the way into the water, to check under the debris, under a large canopy that covered a number of people after they fell into the water. If that happens then -- and they find some people, then they will send divers into the water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TIMONEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE COMM.: Well, the structure is very shaky right now, is very unstable. We're waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers who will do an assessment and advise us whether we can go underneath it, or we have to shore it up, or tear it down before the rescue continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Three people were killed and three dozen others injured when the pier collapsed last night at about 8:00; a party was under way. Six people do remain hospitalized this morning. Now detectives have questioned the owner of this dance club, the dance club called Heat. They've also questioned the construction company. Apparently some construction was recently done. The dance club opened just a few weeks ago here at Penn's Landing. It's about one mile from the Liberty Bell. This is not the first problem this pier has had. Back in 1995 the front end of the pier collapsed into the water, that was rebuilt. The city did sign off on that. Right now, though, investigators, trying to determine whether construction did play a role in this collapse.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Philadelphia.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Deborah, thank you.

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

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.