|
  |
|
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Searchers scour 'huge debris field'
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (CNN) -- Searchers seeking debris from the shuttle Columbia continued their task on horseback and in four-wheel drive vehicles Monday as officials worked to identify astronauts' remains at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Astronauts are working with searchers in Texas and Louisiana to assure proper handling of remains, said Bob Cabana, director of flight crew operations at Johnson Space Center. "We're treating those remains with the ultimate respect and care that they deserve," Cabana said. The Israel Defense Forces is sending a military Rabbinate representative to Texas to assist in identifying the body parts of the Columbia crew, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported. Israeli officials want to ensure that if the remains are found of Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, they are treated according to Jewish tradition and returned to Israel for burial. Officials are using global positioning system devices to track wreckage sites and develop maps that could help lead to more debris. All pieces of the shuttle are being taken to Barksdale AFB for examination. Barksdale, in northeast Louisiana near Shreveport, was chosen for its central location to the disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is leading the cleanup, has approved $5 million to reimburse Texas for its costs in the effort, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said. School campuses clearedShuttle fragments ranging from tiny pieces to one the size of a compact car were found strewn across what federal officials called "a huge debris field." (List of debris) Perry directed school administrators in 93 counties to inspect school grounds for shuttle debris. Hundreds of children were told to stay home Monday while their campuses were cleared of debris. So far, 33 Texas counties in an area greater than 28,000 square miles have reported finding debris, Perry said. (Map) The search region in Texas extends from Graceland County in the north to Jefferson County in the south and from Eastland County in the west to Sabine and Orange counties in the east. In Louisiana, shuttle parts were found scattered near the Texas border. Witnesses reported seeing lots of material fall into the Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Sabine River, which forms part of the border. Officials said they were waiting for sonar equipment to arrive so they could search for the pieces underwater. Investigators are worried some pieces might never be found, a concern because the shuttle fragments might be toxic and because NASA wants as many pieces recovered as possible to help determine what caused the disaster. "We want to make sure that this evidence ... is preserved in such a way that NASA can come in afterward and find out what caused this tragedy," said Michael Brown, FEMA deputy director. Experts estimated Columbia broke up nearly 40 miles above Earth, meaning the debris might be scattered as far west as Arizona. The Federal Aviation Administration has restricted air space from Cedar Creek, Texas, just south of Dallas, to Fort Polk, Louisiana -- a zone 160 miles long and 40 miles wide -- saying that would make it easier for officials to collect debris. Aircraft in the zone were barred from flying below 3,000 feet. People report to hospital
More than 1,200 shuttle pieces were found in Nacogdoches County, Texas, said Sheriff Thomas Kerss. It was a "miracle" no one was injured from falling debris, said Nacogdoches Mayor Roy Blake. Authorities warned people not to touch debris, noting its potential hazards and the investigation. (Why debris might be toxic) "The FBI has informed us that if you take that, that is federal property. They will pursue legal action and prosecute if necessary to get that back," said Sue Kennedy, Nacogdoches County emergency management chief. Despite repeated warnings of the potential toxicity, some townspeople were driving shuttle pieces into town and delivering them to authorities, Kennedy said. At least 70 people had gone to emergency rooms in area hospitals, concerned they might have touched debris. None showed any injuries, Kennedy said. CNN's Beth Lewandowski contributed to this report
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
