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CNN NEWSROOM

New Year's Fireworks Near Burning Dubai Hotel. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired December 31, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:05] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Kim, I'm going to stop you there. We're just going to watch. Countdown is on, nine, eight. Let's listen and watch.

(CHEERS)

(NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS)

[15:08:32] WHITFIELD: What a contrast. That's 2016 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Welcome back to our live coverage.

What a contrast, because on the left-hand side, you've got a 68-story Address Hotel that is fully engulfed in flames while just meters away you have this spectacular fireworks display taking place at the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. CNN anchor Becky Anderson is there in Dubai.

And, Becky, given this is a huge attraction, upwards of a million people converge in downtown Dubai to enjoy, celebrate a New Year this way with this incredible fireworks display, this fire on the left-hand side of the screen was not going to stop that. Any new information on reported injuries or containment since last time we spoke?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, so that fire broke about two and a half hours ago now. But as you say, the show goes on in Dubai. And thankfully, the fire which looked so spectacular in the building, which is just very close by the Address hotel which is a five-star hotel and residential building of 63 stories, 196 rooms and 626 service departments, the fire breaking out on the 20th floor about two and a half hours ago.

[15:10:03] Thankfully, there are not as many injuries as you might expect. Let me just go through what we know at this stage. We believe there's between 14 and 16 people who have sustained minor injuries in that fire. One person described as having medium injuries and one person we believe had a heart attack as a result of smoke inhalation and/or the moment in time and the shock of what happened in that hotel.

Now, we are told by authorities that 90 percent is now contained within the building. So, 90 percent of the fire contained as far as authorities are concerned, there are numerous fire teams obviously now on the spot. We're taking about a kilometer and a half away from where you have seen one of the most spectacular displays anywhere in the world.

And let me tell you, this fireworks display started at midnight, it goes on for fine minutes. What you'll begin to see is further firework displays down towards the Burj al-Arab, which is the iconic building on the beach in Dubai. Then the fireworks will go all the way along the beach. This is along 25-minute display and continues on while, as you say, just really hundreds of meters away there is the Address Hotel, which was until now at least engulfed in fire.

We have had a lot of eyewitnesses telling us that things were very well-contained as the operation got underway in order to contain that fire. But, clearly, an incredibly frightening experience for all of those involved.

Sources telling us that it may have been a curtain in a room on the 20th floor that caught on fire and it was a result of that that the building went up. So, starting on the 20th floor.

Things at the moment on the left of your screen, a fire continuing to blaze, although we are told, as I say, it is beginning to be contained. They say they have contained now 90 percent of it. While on the right-hand side of your screen, as you have rightly pointed out, one of the most spectacular firework displays in the world, which will go on now for some minutes.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. So, 25 minutes if all in Dubai, fireworks starting at the Burj Khalifa and making its way around some of the other more remarkable skyscrapers and buildings there in Dubai. All the while right there on the left-hand side of your screen, just about a kilometer away is the Address Hotel still engulfed in flames.

So, Bernard Kerik, former NYPD commissioner, joining us now.

I understand you also have worked in Dubai. So, you are familiar with Dubai. All this taking place when we're less than nine hours away from a huge display of fireworks and revelry there in New York's Times Square.

So, Bernard, to hear Becky Anderson's report and to hear that possibly this fire may have started from a curtain in a room on the 20th floor and then that fire traveled very quickly, what does your expertise tell you about how this fire may have ignited, and why it would spread so quickly within seconds according to many eyewitnesses.

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER (via telephone): Yes, Fredricka, I have to say, I don't -- I probably don't agree with that curtain thing.

WHITFIELD: Really? Why not?

KERIK: Because the outside of the building spread way too fast. I mean, within minutes. It went maybe 20 floors high and now you have it on the inside of the building and I know there's reports saying that they have it contained 90 percent. But since they have said that, we have two major explosions and what somebody reported as a balcony falling.

My concern looking at it from what we see off the Skype views is that if the interior of this building heats up to levels that structural beams can't take, I would be worried about an implosion, just like we had in the World Trade Center. And that's what happens.

So, it depends on how far the fire gets into the building. I know we're looking at pictures from the outside, but if the fire is inside the building, contained in the inside, and spreads throughout the inside of the building and we're really -- and there's, I don't know if that's live or not, but we're seeing another explosion on TV.

[15:10:11] You know, that's what I would be worried about, an implosion.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and I guess what's really extraordinary, there are a lot of things that are extraordinary about this, Bernard, but extraordinary to that. you would have a fire of this magnitude and Dubai officials would say the show must go on. Millions of dollars have been invested in this. And, you know, more than 1.6 tons of fireworks last year, it broke the Guinness World Record for the largest fireworks display and a million people are there to enjoy this. So, Dubai officials didn't want to disappoint.

So, does this tell you -- does it speak more to the control that officials had of this fire and their containment and the confidence that they would be a able to prevent this massive fire from growing or getting worse that they could carry on with the revelry here to ring in the New Year?

KERIK: Well, evidently, I mean, that's a decision they have to make based on resources. You know, I would imagine that that was thought out for an hour or two prior to the fireworks display. My concern right now would be the groundwork that's being done around that hotel to ensure that all those vehicles were evacuated out of there. Obviously, the building is evacuated.

WHITFIELD: In terms of a perimeter then, so what kind of perimeter are you talking about you would feel comfortable knowing that this is a 63-story, you know, building that takes up a pretty good size of a block? What would be a safe perimeter that would be secured, removing vehicles, et cetera?

KERIK: You know, Fredricka, in New York City, in New York City environment, you're talking at least three or four blocks away from that building. You want those vehicles out of there. You don't want any of that stuff to come down on them or the people around it. So based on what we're seeing, I hear that 90 percent stuff, but it just did you want appear to be the case based on the visuals.

WHITFIELD: What defines containment then? I mean, if you hear 90 percent, what does that tell you and why does that contrast with what you are believing?

KERIK: Well, usually what you have is something that's controllable. If it was 90 percent contained, you wouldn't -- I don't think you'd see the photos we're seeing unless this is old stuff. What I have seen over the last ten minutes, 15 minutes as they have been saying 90 percent contained it doesn't appear to be the case.

WHITFIELD: What do you want to see next as we are continuing to look at the pictures with the fireworks display. When we're able to pull up the continuing burning the Address Hotel building, what kind of reassurance do you want to see? Do you want to see air support? Is this not a city or structure that would best welcome air support?

KERIK: You know what, Fredricka, it's funny you say that because in al Arabiya, in the Arab network, the tag line, the Arab tagline, they are running a tag line that's basically saying they have called in the national guard to assist with the hotel fire. In addition to attacking the fire by air.

So, I don't know if they are helicopters in the area that's going to douse it. I don't know what they are going to do. My big concern would be worrying about the inside of that building.

WHITFIELD: You mentioned that in your expertise, you'd want to see a three or four block area enclosed, you know, with these perimeter vehicles out. If this were in your jurisdiction and you were trying to battle this blaze contain the situation, what would you want to see happen there?

KERIK: You want everybody out of the building just like we did on 9/11 with the World Trade Center. Everybody and anything you can get away from the building, we never anticipated those buildings to collapse, to implode.

The problem is with once the interior of that building heats up and the structural beams start to give way, you're talking 63 floors, you know, once a few beams go, the building is going to follow and you want everything out of the area before that happens. So, that's what we'd be concerned with. The firefighters, you know, they have an enormous team, I would imagine, fighting this blaze, but the firefighters are going to have a hard time.

[15:20:02] WHITFIELD: Yes, and perhaps in the earlier stages, before you see this kind of engulfment, and we heard that the evacuations took place, what would you envision in terms of how do you clear each floor, how do you e evacuate people from 63 stories with an active fire, you know, knowing that you can't rely on elevators. Using the stairway, how do you suppose they went about this now that we're hearing from officials that there are 14 reported injuries?

KERIK: Well, listen, for a fire like this, if they only come out of this with 14 people injured, I would say they have done extremely well in evacuating the building. They have plans and protocols in place. They do mock drills and fire drills constantly in buildings like this.

In Dubai, those kind of plans are in place. We heard some of the other commentators talking about the things that's done in their buildings. This building is no different. One of the hotels along the water where the display is now, they do those kind of drills as well. So, a lot of that goes into effect. You know, the forced evacuation,

and then the fire apparatus, the fire personnel, get into the buildings and assist.

WHITFIELD: We've heard, Bernard, that there were sprinkler systems and those were under way. But, clearly, the systems are not putting out the fire at least from the looks of the way the flames are traveling. So, is this an instance where they have no other recourse but to let the building burn out? Or how do you exhaust the situation?

KERIK: You know, what happens, Fredricka, if they can get up in the building, you know, from the other side and work the fire, the sprinkler system, you know, we're only speculating based on visuals, based on what we're watching.

WHITFIELD: Yes, because we can't see how they are extinguishing flames, if they are even trying to do that. We can't see it from this vantage point. But go ahead.

KERIK: Yes, so we don't know if the system worked. We don't know if the system failed. And if the system was working and is working, they have to make sure that the water is getting into that system. It's not cut off anywhere on the ground. They have to make sure the water is getting into that system to have an impact on the inside.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Bernard.

I also have with us -- don't go far. You want to bring you back in.

Kim Kelaita is a CNN producer who is at the hotel.

So, Kim, describe what has been taking place from your vantage point when you have this fireworks display that continues. Becky was saying, it's all of like 25 minutes, which is quite remarkable there in Dubai.

KIM KELAITA, CNN PRODUCER (via telephone): Yes, for sure, fireworks are nothing new in Dubai. They certainly do love their fireworks here. The show went on, as you saw. And the smoke seems to be billowing back now, which is a good sign. You have a lot of the revelers very controlled.

The security and the police have really contained this area. It was from about 4:00 in the afternoon, Dubai time, a real lock down on the public transport being stopped, as to contain the people coming into the area. Of course, not knowing that there was supposed to be a fire, but that ended up happening and helping the situation here.

People are now leaving. I asked a couple people did they not notice the fire to the left of them. Many of them said, yes, it was a fire and happened two hours ago and have it under control. So, they continued watching the fireworks display to the right of them -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and no one seemed to be alarmed or concerned about the explosions or felt confident that officials are telling them it's contained, they go with that?

KELAITA: Yes, they seem to be confident of it. I tried to get into the backside of the area, which is the entry to the Dubai mall. They did close off that perimeter, you heard earlier. You could not get entry into the Dubai mall. They did close that off, people are coming out. They were being evacuated, in particular, but they were not letting people in.

I tried myself to get in, I am on the backside of the hotel itself to the right of me is the tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

And the fireworks display went on. People are leaving calmly, collective. The police seem to have things in order. There's traffic control and it went on without a hitch.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And so, Kim, you heard Bernard saying this were, you know, his city and he were part of helping to battle the blaze, contain the area, et cetera, he would have three to four block area cordoned off.

[15:25:05] Are you able to see the perimeter of the area blocked off while this building continues to burn?

KELAITA: I am not. I'm on the backside of it. I can see the top of the building, I have been told by police here and they said that area has been closed off. The hotel has been evacuated. They are not letting anybody within that area.

So, they did contain the area from around the hotel. I am a good mile away from the hotel. Of course, I can see the top of it, it's quite big, and the backside of it. But they did contain that area.

Somebody who I knew was staying in the hotel, they were evacuated about an hour and a half ago. They have all been pushed out of that area. That is definitely been contained.

Where we are in front of Burj Khalifa, there are police moving the crowd, and people seem to be moving along quite well.

WHITFIELD: OK, Kim, thank you so much.

It's been extraordinary to see the differences here of these screens. The opulence to the right with this extraordinary 25-minute fireworks display from the world's tallest building to the left, which is just about a kilometer away across the lake there, the Address Hotel, that's what it's called, for those now just joining us. The Address Hotel in downtown Dubai, which was fully booked. It's a five-star luxury hotel, residence, restaurants, shopping mall, 63 stories tall, fully engulfed by flames as you see right there.

It continued to burn as the fireworks display got under way at the stroke of midnight there. It is 2016 in Dubai.

Back with us, Bruce Szczepanski.

Bruce, because of you, we were able to watch a good portion of what was taking place from your 7th floor balcony. Right now, you're joining us on the phone. What are you seeing and were you kind of shifting your view from the burning building to the left from your balcony. You would then see the fireworks display.

BRUCE SZCZEPANSKI, WITNESSED FIRE FROM NEARBY HOTEL (via telephone): I do. You know, you want to see the fireworks, this massive structure that's on fire (INAUDIBLE) rest of it seems to be under control. At the lower level, there's some fires (INAUDIBLE) restaurants burning.

But other than that, it seems to be under control. (INAUDIBLE) that's always a good sign. It was kind of like watching the fireworks.

WHITFIELD: So, Bruce, what did that feel like to you to be watching the fire from one point of view from your balcony and then just shifting your eyes a few inches and then you were watching this incredible fireworks display.

SZCZEPANSKI: My heart goes out to the people in the hotel and apartments, that there's no loss of life. But I mean, they have to deal with (INAUDIBLE) and then the celebration that occurred just less than a kilometer away. It's just a weird dichotomy. As I say, I was torn between I watch the fireworks, I continue to watch the fire.

WHITFIELD: So, Bruce, could you tell earlier you showed us from your balcony that you could look right in front of the Burj Hotel, and you would see Burj Park where 100,000 people would converge in order to watch the fireworks display. Could you tell whether or not some people were looking, you know, trying to turn their heads looking at one point at the fireworks display and checking out the fire. What were you able to see? Could you see that clearly?

SZCZEPANSKI: Most of the people are watching the fireworks. They have been watching the fire for over two hours (INAUDIBLE) probably under control at this point in time. So, I suspect (INAUDIBLE) again the sadness because of the fire, people are there for a reason, which was to see the fireworks.

WHITFIELD: And, Bruce, earlier you were showing live pictures. We're showing images from recorded earlier where it looks like the fire was kind of in the beginning stages. We're unable to get the live view. So, can you describe what you're seeing? When we hear officials say 90 percent contained, from your vantage point are you also seeing a diminishing of flames?