A doctor who's been tending to the sick and wounded inside the New Orleans Superdome for the last two days described a horrific scene Thursday night. Asked about the level of violence among the 20,000 displaced residents who sought shelter inside the giant stadium, Dr. Charles Burnell told Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren:
"We had three murders last night. We had a total of six rapes last night. We had the day before, I think, there were three or four murders. There were half-a-dozen rapes that night. We had one suicide last night. We had one military policeman shot."
Foreign news outlets attest to the hellish experience:
Those lucky enough to get out told tales of rapes, child molestations, shootings, a man who jumped off the roof and a fire that broke out in the giant sport arena where up to 20,000 people had taken shelter from Hurricane Katrina.
The floors of the stadium were soaked from the rain that seeped in during the storm after part of the roof collapsed, and a pervading stench testifid to the overflowing toilets that had forced people to relieve themselves in hallways and stairwells.
"The odor from that place would knock you off your feet," said Lorraine Banks as she made her way past the dozens of police officers and soldiers trying to keeping order and handing out water in the shopping mall.
"They had bowel movements on the floor this high," the 53-year-old nurse said, as she gestured to her knee.
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