Latest on the Capsized "Eastern Star" in China; South Korea Battles MERS Virus; Fighting Breaks Out in Eastern Ukraine
ASHER: Welcome back, everyone. We go to China now where rescuers say there are no signs of life from their search inside a capsized cruise ship. The death toll there now stands at 66.</s>VAUSE: More than 450 were on board when the "Eastern Star" capsized during a violent storm. Rescuers have been trying to cut a hole in the hull of the ship trying to find survivors. Others are searching the riverbanks. 220 kilometers or 130 miles downstream. So far, only 14 survivors have been found. More than 370 passengers and crew are still missing. David McKenzie joins us on the line from the banks of the Yangtze River with the very latest on all this. David, they've been at this now for two days. Is there any realistic chance of finding more survivors?</s>DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John, the chances are growing slimmer by the hour. They're hoping to head towards the actual scene of where the ship overturned. They're trying to get inside the hull, the hull that overturned, cutting with welders and other means to get divers inside. And just looking at the water here, you can get a sense of how difficult the search and rescue operation is. It's a fast-flowing river. The water is basically zero visibility. Divers describe just how difficult it is, trying to piece their way through, if they get in, hand over fist to see any signs of life. As you say, at this stage, no signs of life coming out. The situation is looking very grim, indeed -- John?</s>VAUSE: There's many relatives of those on board this boat, are angry at the government. Why, exactly?</s>MCKENZIE: They're angry because they want information but also, of course, they're angry because of the situation. I spoke to one man who said that his parents were told this is the safest way to travel in China. So, obviously, there's shock and had shock has culminated into anger. The government says they're doing everything they can to assist the families. They're putting them in hotels, giving them what information they can. But, of course, with only a small number of rescues and a small number of bodies recovered, it's looking like it could be a very strong process and, obviously, a very dangerous one for the divers trying to get to anyone alive. Unfortunately, the operation to salvage this vessel.</s>VAUSE: Finally, is there a time frame on this operation? How much longer will those rescue crews keep at it?</s>MCKENZIE: Well, they will certainly keep at it for the foreseeable future. What I'm seeing right now in the distance is the vessel itself. And it's got a huge amount, in fact, 500 tons of salvage equipment around it. But they have these giant cranes that they hope to adjust the way the vessel is lying in the water to more easily get inside and presumably at some point bring it either to shore or bring it up from underneath the Yangtze. But it's an incredibly difficult process and there's a huge amount of personnel here, mostly military, trying to continue this operation. But, you know, I think it's going to go on for days and days.</s>VAUSE: David McKenzie on the Yangtze River not far from where the "Eastern Star" capsized. David, thank you.</s>ASHER: In these types of situations, you hope and pray for a miracle. But after so many days, realistically, it is unlikely they will find any --</s>VAUSE: Everyone hopes there will be maybe one more.</s>ASHER: One more, exactly. A U.S. defense official says the Pentagon may have mistakenly shipped live anthrax to more laboratories than previously reported. Anthrax samples that were thought to be inactive were shipped to 51 laboratories across the United States, as well as Canada, Australia and South Korea.</s>VAUSE: The deputy secretary of defense says there's no danger of an outbreak.</s>ROBERT WORK, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I have no reason to believe that there's any danger of this causing any type of an outbreak outside the laboratories. And I don't believe that we will have anybody infected that we are waiting to find out.</s>ASHER: We turn now to South Korea the president held an emergency meeting Wednesday in response to her country's growing outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.</s>VAUSE: So far, two people have died. At least 35 cases have been confirmed. The World Health Organization warns the MERS outbreak in South Korea is likely to get worse.</s>ASHER: For the latest on the outbreak, I want to bring CNN's Kathy Novak who joins us live from Seoul. Kathy, you know, you've got 1300 people who have been quarantined. I guess the big question now is does South Korea have the resources and the capability to really get this virus under control?</s>KATHY NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, people are increasingly concerned here, Zain. You can see the front page of the paper talking about those 1300 people quarantined that you just mentioned. You might be able to see people wearing face masks, people in the public taking precautions themselves. We're being told authorities do not expect at this stage for the virus to spread into the public. So far, it has been contained with people who have had contact in medical facilities and this passport that the president has set up is working precisely on making sure that it stays that way, that the virus is contained and that the hospitals have all the resources that they need the diagnose and to treat the people who have been affected.</s>ASHER: And, Kathy, this is a relatively new virus. It was only sort of brought to people's attention back in 2012, so only three years ago. But we know that it doesn't necessarily spread that easily between humans. So is there a fear at all that the virus mutating and becoming more contagious?</s>NOVAK: That is some of the fear among the public, Zain. People have been frustrated that they say they didn't get enough information in the early stages and now the government is trying to give more regular updates to give people the correct information about this virus. But as you say, part of the problem is very little is known. It's only been in the past couple of years. This is the biggest outbreak that has been scene outside of the Middle East. So the advice for the public has so far been relatively basic hygiene kits, such as washing hands often because -- well, the fear is that the spread is from human to human sharing, contact with objects as doorknobs, for example. But people are taking those extra steps of wearing face masks and avoiding large crowds to try to protect themselves. And, of course, the major focus is on containment, on making sure that anyone at all, family members, friends who had visited the hospital, doctors and nurses that may have come in contact and may have been exposed are quarantined.</s>ASHER: Right. And we know the virus initially spread through hospitals. So now the hospitals actually have a challenge of, I guess, reassuring the public that they are still safe. OK. Kathy Novak live for us in Seoul. Kathy, thank you so much. We appreciate that. In a scathing new report, Amnesty International accuses the Nigerian military of crimes so beautiful they echo some of the Boko Haram's worst offenses. Take a look at this video. This video is provided by Amnesty International as part of their report.</s>VAUSE: It says senior commanders must be investigators for their roles in the deaths of more than 8,000 prisoners.</s>ANNA NEISTAT, HEAD OF RESEARCH, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: This report is a very comprehensive investigation, based on years of research into war crimes and potential crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian Military. This presents cases of executions, massive deaths in custody, torture, and disappearances and massive arbitrary arrests. And most importantly, in this report, we named officials who we believe are individually responsible or they have command responsibility for the violations.</s>VAUSE: And we have a response from Nigeria's military rejecting that Amnesty report saying, "Each of the previous allegations have been thoroughly responded to and cleared in the public officially. The title down to the body of the allegations smacks the extreme bias, which is disturbing coming from an otherwise reputable organization that is expected to be just and fair to all."</s>ASHER: We go now to Europe where the Ukrainian military says at least 200 Russian-backed separatists fired heavy artillery at Ukrainian positions in the eastern part of the country on Wednesday.</s>VAUSE: Witnesses say it is the worst fighting they've seen since the ceasefire was announced months ago. Here is Robyn Curnow with the details.</s>ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sounds of the so-called cease-fire. The separatists cache with government forces in eastern Ukraine. Heavy artillery fire was reported near Donetsk on Wednesday in what observers call some of the worst fighting since the shaky ceasefire was declared back in February. Activists from a group supporting the separatists described the scene.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST (through translation): 10 minutes ago, the Ukrainian site opened fire and now rebels are engaging in return fire against the Ukrainian side.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST (through translation): Over there, 100 meters ahead of us, there are front line positions and the guys are engaging in machine contact with the enemy.</s>CURNOW: The spokesman for pro Russian rebels blame provocation by Ukrainian forces for the clashes, but Ukrainian military officials say 200 rebels attacked first.</s>UNIDENTIFIED UKRAINIAN MILITARY OFFICIAL (through translation): The enemy started massive shelling of our positions from heavy weaponry. Tanks, mortars, artillery were used. The enemy is trying to move forward.</s>CURNOW: Ukrainian officials say they turned back the rebel attack and deny reports that 25 of their soldiers were wounded in the fighting. This comes on the heels of a Reuters report showing Russia's army massing troops, tanks and other weaponry near the border with Ukraine. Officials in Kiev claim Russia is preparing for a new offensive. Russia isn't commenting on its troop movements and continues to deny its military is involved in the conflict.</s>CURNOW: While both sides point fingers, fighting is heating up again. And it appears the fragile ceasefire is closer than ever to collapse. Robyn Curnow, CNN.</s>VAUSE: Now to California and an update on the pipeline rupture that spilled 100,000 gallons of oil onto the coastline. Federal investigators say it happened because the pipe's wall has worn away to a fraction of an inch in thickness. The initial findings released on Wednesday also say the area that failed was close to another badly corroded part of the pipe. That corrosion was discovered in inspections in 2012. When we come back on CNN NEWSROOM, the FBI has a new warning about the online threat militants pose to national security. Those details just ahead.