Naji: Time running out for quake victims
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CNN's Kasra Naji via videophone
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The search for survivors continues. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.
The death toll from the earthquake in the ancient Iranian city of Bam is likely to rise.
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BAM, Iran (CNN) -- International disagreements have been put aside as aid and rescue teams from around the world arrive in Iran after Friday's earthquake, which devastated the ancient city of Bam and killed thousands of people.
CNN correspondent Kasra Naji reported Sunday on the heavy death toll and the relief efforts.
NAJI: Time is running out for thousands of people who are thought to be buried under rubble here. It's more than 48 hours since the earthquake struck here, and there are thousands of rescue workers -- both Iranian and international, from many countries -- here, and they are doing their best.
It's lunchtime now, and they've been working for several hours since daybreak to dig under the rubble and try and see whether they can bring anybody out alive. So far, we haven't heard of anybody rescued alive under the rubble.
The bodies are still being brought out on an hourly basis here. So the search and rescue mission is continuing, and we've got so many people from so many countries.
In fact, the U.N. is saying 21 countries are contributing to this search and rescue mission, including the United States, by the way.
There have been two planes from the United States that have landed in Kerman, which is about 200 kilometers [124 miles] from here.
They're flying in aid, and there's going to be more, according to one Air Force official, who told me that they are expecting more planes bringing American aid and American aid workers and medical teams here to Iran.
Iranians are saying that they are happy to receive aid from any quarter except Israel, their archenemy basically.
And beyond that, in terms of numbers of the casualties still, we're having trouble pinpointing exactly how many people have died. There are various conflicting figures from various sources.
But what is certain is the number who have been buried, and the officials here are saying that so far they have buried more than 5,000 people.
