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CNN NEWSROOM

Death Toll Rises to Nine as Rescuers Race to Find Survivors; Collapse Shines Light on Structural Integrity of High Rises; U.S. Airstrikes Hit Iran-Back Militias in Iraq and Syria; Republicans Back to Supporting $1.2 Trillion Measure; State Media: North Koreans Heartbroken seeing Kim Gaunt; Delta Variant Poses Big Threat to Some Communities in U.S.; South Africa Imposes New Lockdown to Fight Case Surge; Covid Vaccines Access Limited in Many Parts of the World. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 28, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM. Frustration, anger, and searching for hope. Rescue efforts at the site of Florida building collapse leaves families waiting for the unimaginable. We will hear from one family who survived the disaster.

Health experts warn unvaccinated people face a new COVID-19 threat as the delta variant spreads across the U.S.

And scorching temperatures in the Pacific Northwest are breaking records. We'll have the latest ahead.

Sunrise is a little more than two hours away in Surfside, Florida and a new day could bring hope or despair for crews racing to find survivors. The death toll from Thursday's condo collapse has now risen to nine. And more than 150 people are unaccounted for as of Sunday. Hopes of finding anyone left alive are growing more remote. But officials and families are still praying for a miracle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES BURKETT, MAYOR OF SURFSIDE, FLORIDA: I think we all believe and expect miracles. We all believe and expect miracles. We have armies ready to go 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's not going to stop until we pull everybody out. That's the way it's going to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Families face an agonizing wait desperate for any word on the fate of their loved ones. CNN's Rafael Romo has more from Surfside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rescue crews who continue to sift through a mountain of rubble here in Surfside, Florida, now have additional help. A team from Mexico has joined the effort. According to local fire department chief, there are over 400 personnel who are strictly utilized for search and rescue. The initial rescue efforts were hampered by a fire that was finally suppressed over the weekend.

And another major development over the weekend, crews cut a deep trench 125 feet long and 40 feet deep to help in the search effort. The trench allowed rescue personnel to recover additional bodies and human remains from the rubble. And for the first time Sunday, families of the missing were given the chance to visit the site of the tragedy.

DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, MAYOR OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: We did give all of the families an opportunity to privately visit the site. This was something that many of the family members had requested and so our teams worked to set up something to accommodate them and I think that it turned out very well and they were grateful.

ROMO: And as the search and rescue effort continues, there's new information showing the building had visible structure damage years ago. In 2018, a structure engineer reported significant cracks and breaks in the concrete, among other significant issues. The engineering firm Morabito Consultants issued a statement on Saturday confirming it had been hired this month by the condo association to prepare the building for its 40-year repair plan. It said roof repairs were underway when the building collapsed but noted the restoration of the concrete hadn't started yet. And now the city of Miami has sent letters to managers of buildings that are six stories and higher in more than 40 years old urging them to get an inspection from a qualified structure engineer.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Surfside, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And we are hearing from one family who managed to escape the building before it collapsed. They were asleep in their 11th floor apartment when they woke to the walls shaking violently. The family spoke to CNN about their harrowing race to flee the building in time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERT AGUERO, ESCAPED BUILDING COLLAPSE: She called me out because of the chandeliers and the pendant lights that in our dining room were swaying back and before. So she was like I think we need to get out of here. A few minutes later, the fire department showed up. The response was incredibly quick. I walked out on to the balcony and yelled down to them to ask whether we needed to evacuate and they said we needed to evacuate as quick as possible.

So that moment, we just grabbed our coats, our wallets and keys and went to the front door. When we opened the front door, that's when we really were made aware of the devastation to the building.

[04:05:00] We looked to the left and the apartment is half sheared off. I looked right ahead -- which is where the elevator is, are supposed to be used, was two empty elevator shafts. And thankfully the emergency exit lane to the staircase was open -- was lit up. So we sprinted to the staircase and opened that door only to realized that the wall had partially collapsed there. At that moment where it really hit me that we were racing against time to get to the bottom of the building before the entire thing caved in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Extraordinary escape there. And the condo's two other towers are still standing. The Surfside, Florida mayor said the engineers will take a closer look at them on Tuesday. He says a cursory inspection found no immediate concerns but a more thorough look is needed to make sure that the structures are safe. Meanwhile, Boca Raton is among the latest coastal cities to announce plans for stricter certification standards for buildings. The city's mayor says he's been working with other jurisdictions to determine best practices.

Engineers warned of structure problems with the collapsed building back in 2018, but the official cause of the tragedy is still being determined. Earlier I spoke with Dawn E. Lehman, professor of civil engineering at the University of Washington and asked her what may have gone wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAWN E. LEHMAN, CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: Cracks alone are not a concern, because, you know, concrete is weak in tension. That's why we put reinforcement in. So we expect cracking. Spalling, Corrosion and that sort of damage that we've seen in this building is something we don't expect and is cause for concern. There was a building in Seattle that had quite a bit of corrosion in an area called Belltown and it was demolished.

So we have to take it -- we do have to take this seriously. Usually buildings failures are a combination of, you know, a number of different characteristics that, unfortunately, don't meet the structure requirements. So that could be the materials. It could be the connection. It could be under designed members. It could be an overload that it was not intentionally designed for. It could be foundation or soil failure. And so, it's likely a combination of these things but we don't know yet. And we can't just look at the damage and make conclusions yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And that was civil engineering professor Dawn E. Lehman speaking with me earlier.

Well meanwhile, Florida's political leaders are weighing on what comes next after this catastrophic structure failure. Senator Rick Scott tells CNN leaders and building owners need to make sure this kind of disaster never happens again. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): Everybody is going to go back and say, wait a minute, let' go -- let's make sure this never happens again. What do we have to do? Do we change anything? And I think all the building owners are going to be doing the same thing. They're going to say, OK, so let's learn but let's in the meantime -- even as we learn what happened here, let's see what we need to do for our buildings to make sure people are safe. We don't ever want this to happen again.

Your heart goes out to these family members because they want to have -- they want their family member found. They're praying that there's going to be pockets where family members would be. I'm with them and you just hope this happens. But I'm going to tell you, I've been down there, everybody is working hard. Everybody is hopeful. But it's a tough environment. And I feel sorry for these families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz also spoke with CNN about the collapse. She described how the tragedy is ripping through the tight-knit community in south Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): When you think about all the people who've come down here to have their lifelong dreams of vacations fulfills. They come to retire and live out their retirement years in fun and joy. This community, as you mentioned, it's so tightknit. It's had large pieces of its heart torn out of it and then Jewish community in particular, you know, this is a very tightknit close community. I can't tell you a number of friends I have who had family or close friends in the building in the middle of the night when it came crashing down. This is the stuff of nightmares.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And later this hour, we'll hear from Jewish community leaders who have been showing support for the families friends impacted by this building collapse.

Well, U.S. President Joe Biden has ordered military air strikes against the rating back militias in Iraq and Syria.

[04:10:00]

The Defense Department says the strikes targeted operational and weapon storage facilities and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says they're in response to a serious and specific threat. There's been a series of attacks in recent months by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. and allied forces in the region. CNN's Joe Johns has more now from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Just minutes before President Biden was expected to arrive back here at the White House after a weekend at Camp David, the word started going out that the president had ordered air strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria, including weapons storage facilities on the border between the two countries. Administration officials called it an act of self- defense and said it was done in order to protect U.S. military personnel who were stationed along the border. The president did not elaborate but he did tell reporters he'll have more to talk about in this situation on Monday.

Joe Johns, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: President Biden's infrastructure deal appears to be back on track after a near derailment last week. While announcing the agreement Thursday, Mr. Biden indicated he would only sign the $1.2 trillion bipartisan measure, if it came with a much larger package of Democratic priorities. Republicans were furious at the apparent ultimatum. The president walked back his statement Saturday, saying he didn't intend to create the impression he was issuing a veto threat. Republicans were back on board Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITT ROMNEY, (R-UT): This is a bill which stands on its own. I am totally confident that the president will sign it if it comes to his desk. The real challenge is whether the Democrats can get their act together and get it on his desk. And I think the battle that's going out is not with Republicans. Republicans are going to support true infrastructure that doesn't raise taxes. But Democrats want to do a lot of other things and I think they're the ones that are having a hard time deciding how to proceed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Lawyers for the Trump organization are expected to meet with New York prosecutors later Monday. Sources say the prosecutors have informed the company it will probably face criminal charges in connection with benefits given to company employees. Prosecutors are also expected to charge the company's chief financial officer for benefits he received. There's no indication, at this point, that Donald Trump or family members are going to be charged.

Coming up, some areas in the U.S. are at higher risk of the delta coronavirus variant. What a former top official says are the most vulnerable regions.

And North Korea makes a rare acknowledgment about the health of its leader Kim Jong-un. We will have those details in a live report next.

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: State media in North Korea say people there are heart broken when they see leader Kim Jong-un and how he appears physically. Our Paula Hancocks joins us now from Near Monmouth, Wales with more on this. Paula, what is behind this rare acknowledgment of the health of Kim Jong-un?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, it is very unusual to have this kind of public official acknowledgment of the anything to do with the North Korean leader's health. It was in a documentary from last Friday talking about new propaganda songs. And it's just one quote from one individual but, of course, state-run media is so heavily choreographed, and so heavily edited and checked by the official apparatus in North Korea that it's unlikely that this would have slipped through the cracks. This is an acknowledgment that there is something that is changed with the leader. Quite often what we hear on state-run media is an international audience this is more likely to be a domestic audience. So acknowledging that he is visibly thinner. Let's listen to what the individual said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The people including myself were most heartbroken when we saw the respected general secretary looking gaunt. Everyone says it brought them to tears.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS (on camera): Now it's not the first time that Kim Jong-un's health has been mentioned. Back in 2014 after he had his longest disappearance from public activities to date, he did reappear walking with a limp. He also was walking with a cane at one point. And it was acknowledged that he had not been feeling well. But it is highly unusual. Which really does shows that they felt they had to acknowledge it in some way.

Now of course, experts who follow North Korea closely are trying to figure out what does this mean? We are very unlikely to know exactly what has happened unless North Korea itself tells us whether he has been ill, whether he has just lost weight. It is very difficult to know. But it is something that the countries around the world and intention intelligence agencies around the world will be watching closely. Any indication that the North Korean leader is not in full health given the fact he does run a country that has nuclear weapons. So it is of interest to them.

Some experts also speculating that it comes at a time when North Korea has acknowledged they have food insecurity issues -- gain a rare acknowledgment that all is not well within North Korea. And speculating whether or not this is an acknowledgment to those within the country that the leader understands what they are going through. But of course, is I say, unless we hear directly from Pyongyang itself, we will not know for sure why the sudden weight loss. But very interesting that it has been acknowledged -- Rosemary.

Absolutely, we'll continue to watch this very closely. Paula Hancocks joining us there with an update on what the situation is with the help of Kim Jong-un, appreciate it.

[04:20:00] Well, the former chief of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the delta coronavirus variant poses a big threat to communities with low vaccination rates. Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CBS who's most at risk right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, COMMISSIONER: There are social compartments in the U.S., both geographic and social compartments where you have under vaccination and you don't have a lot of immunity in the population. It's particularly rural parts in the South. Particularly you're seeing what's happening in Missouri right now, where about 60 percent of the infections are the delta variant. So that's a reflection. In fact, we have parts of the United States where we don't have a lot of vaccination. And we also don't have a lot of prior infection. Those are going to be the more vulnerable parts of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, there are more than 153 million fully vaccinated people in the U.S. Dr. Gottlieb says the U.S. needs to adopt a more grassroots campaign to urge people to get their shots.

Well the delta variant is driving a third wave of coronavirus infections in South Africa. A national lockdown is now in place with strict limits on where people can go and what they can do. And South African officials aren't sure when it will end saying the new measures will be reassessed in two weeks from now. And our David McKenzie joins us now live from Johannesburg with more on this. So David, what is the latest on this pretty harsh two-week lockdown?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, I mean, just look at this graph. It shows you the problems where I'm sitting in and the current wave in black compared to the previous two waves. So you just see the dramatic difference there and scientists say it's driven by the delta variant. I think there's some criticism these lockdown measures didn't happen sooner but they are here now. And they entail a ban on all gatherings, except for funerals, in some cases, an alcohol ban, a reinstatement of stricter curfew. All kinds of measures that South Africa lived through in the early days of the pandemic are being brought back. Which shows you just the level of fear that authorities here have with dealing with the delta variant. And I've been to -- well, I've talked to people who were in hospitals and doctors and nurses who have said they are really struggling under the strain. Here is the president of South Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: Once again we find ourselves at a defining moment in our fight against this disease. Let us call on every bit of strength we have. Let us summon our reserves of courage and hold firm until the wave too passes over.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MCKENZIE (on camera): Now despite this strike of rise in cases, is very rapid rise, these were the scenes on Friday at a protest in the capital of Pretoria. One of the opposition parties calling for more vaccines. Of course, crowding together like that is not necessarily the best idea during an intense wave of the virus, but it does speaks to the lack of vaccines in this country and across the continent. The W.H.O. says because of that, there could be a very extreme wave crashing on to the continent because of those low vaccine rates and that more transmissible variant -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: It's such a concern. We need more vaccines across the globe. David McKenzie joining us live from Johannesburg, many thanks.

Well I discussed the delta variant earlier with Dr. Ashish Jah, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and I asked him about the World Health Organization's recent guidance that vaccinated people wear masks to protect against the variant. And here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Obviously, if you're in a place where you've gotten vaccinated but there are a lot of unvaccinated people and high levels of community transmission, these vaccines are terrific but they're not 100 and there will be breakthrough infections. And so wearing a mask in that context makes sense. But otherwise I would say you don't have to be wearing a mask especially if you're around other vaccinated people.

CHURCH: End of course, doctor, we've watched some incredible vaccine rollouts in parts of the world, the United States, across the U.K., Israel, and other points across the globe, but how concerned are you with what you're seeing happen with infections across the African continent and what is still happening in India and Brazil? And of course areas where there hasn't been a particularly good rollout of these vaccines?

JHA: Yes, this is actually the big issue in front of us. Right. It's one thing to talk about vaccines in the United States where a lot of people are vaccinated and more importantly anyone who wants one can get one. In much of the African continent that is not the case. In India and Latin America that's not the case. And we saw what the delta variant did to India. It flattened the health system. It caused tens of thousands of deaths.

Unfortunately, I'm worried that will happen in many places, including many places in Africa.

[04:25:00]

The delta variant is now spreading very, very quickly throughout the world and there really is the public health measures that matter but there is only one way to stop this, ultimately, and it is to ramp up vaccine production and get a lot more people vaccinated.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH (on camera): New COVID infections are surging in Bangladesh and the death toll is rising. The government has tightened lockdown measures as a result. When the announcement came Sunday, crowds rushed to beat the new travel restrictions. Public transportation is suspended until Thursday and previous restrictions on activities are extended yet again until mid-July. Public health measures have largely been ignored but now law enforcement is being deployed to enforce the rules.

And new COVID cases emerging across Australia have triggered sight tighter restrictions in several areas. A stay at home order is in effect through the greater Sydney area through to July 9th. Driven by a growing case cluster in the neighborhood near Bondi Beach. Parts of Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory have also imposed new restrictions.

Well, the U.K. defense ministry says its armed forces head General Nick Carter is isolating at home after testing positive for coronavirus. Six other senior military officials including the defense secretary are in quarantine after coming into contact with him last week. New infections in the U.K. have been ticking up in recent days.

Hong Kong's fight against the Apple Daily newspaper is not over yet. A former executive editor of the pro-democracy paper was arrested by police on Sunday at Hong Kong International Airport as he was attempting to leave the region. The man was arrested on charges on endangering national security. The same vague charge used by police to take other Apple Daily executives into custody earlier this month. The newspaper was raided by police as part of what Hong Kong's security secretary calls a conspiracy by using journalism to cover up crimes. Apple Daily was forced to shut down after its assets were frozen by the government leaving the newspaper unable to pay employees.

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, the search from survivors from the Florida building collapse intensifies. The latest as rescue efforts enter their fifth day.

Plus the strategy hit south Florida's Jewish community particularly hard. We will show you how they're coming together to pray for miracles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)