Tens of Thousands Trying to Leave New Orleans
01 September 2005
Authorities are trying to evacuate tens of thousands of people who remain in flood-swamped New Orleans, three days after Hurricane Katrina.
Large crowds milled outside the New Orleans Superdome Wednesday, where buses were lined up to take storm evacuees to the Texas city of Houston, 500 kilometers to the west.
Helicopter flights were suspended after someone fired a shot at an incoming aircraft, but the ground evacuation continued.
Police and National Guard troops have deployed to stop increasingly aggressive looters, who have been stealing not only food and water but also items like television sets and guns.
Widespread looting is also reported in the state of Mississippi, where coastal towns suffered heavy damage in Monday's storm.
The White House says President Bush will visit the hurricane-devastated areas on Friday.
A spokesman says Mr. Bush has asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush to lead a fundraising effort for hurricane victims.
Officials say it is still too early to give a casualty total from the disaster, but the mayor of New Orleans said Wednesday that he expects the death toll to be in the thousands.
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