Aus einem CNN-Bericht v. 8.5.99 zu den NATO-Angriffen auf die chinesische Botschaft in Belgrad und ein Wohnviertel in der serbischen Großstadt Nis
[Transkription: W. NÄSER]

[...] A NATO spokesman calls the incident a 'terrible accident'. China's state-run news agency reports that 3 NATO missiles slammed the building in Belgrade, killing at least two people. CNN's Brent SADLER has more on the lates round of strikes:

The Yugoslav capital came under the heaviest series of attacks since the start of  NATO's bombing campaign. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China set ablaze. Some 30 resident staff were initially reported [to] be trapped inside the building. The strike on the embassy may further complicate NATO's air war and the search for peace. China has strongly opposed the attacks on Yugoslavia and is sympathetic to Belgrade's negotiating stand over Kosovo. "It looks like somebody was to stop China to accept discussions in the Security Council next week about initiatives to stop the war and to start negotiations." Shortly after giving that interview Lubisa Ristic was caught by another blast outside a hotel. He is deputy to the wife of President Slobodan Milosevic and the Yugoslav party of the left, the first ranking official to be seen injured by NATO strikes.

Several hours of raids were aimed at a number of buildings, including the Hotel Jugoslavija - claimed by NATO to house an underground bunker complex used by the paramilitary leader and indicted war criminal Joko Rasnatovic, better known as Arkan, who was visible during the air raids. NATO said it also targeted the army and police leadership.

Belgrade's night of bombing followed a day of carnage [Gemetzel, Blutbad] in the southern city of Nis. After NATO admitted dropping a cluster bomb by mistake  - it came when residents thought it was relatively safe, in the middle of the day. At the blaze's ... there were scenes of panic and confusion. "My brother", cries this woman, "my sunshine, where are you?" People try to save themselves or their property. As they fought to save live on the ground staff at the Central Hospital were helping put out fires in a car park next to the Pathology Clinic. They said it put extra strain on doctors and nurses treating the wounded. Inside the hospitals some of the reported dozens of bomb victims: many with serious shrapnell injuries and lost limbs. There were clear signs of the weapon which disperses small, but deadly fragments of metal over a wide area and bomblets on the ground.

Death[s] remained in the open many hours later for the media to see. A man lay next to boxes of broken eggs. In another part of Nis further distruction to residential property from what appeared to be a more conventional type of bomb, reportedly dropped overnight. More civilian deaths and more civilian destruction - with NATO to blaim, say officials here using the circumstances surrounding another tragedy as their latest weapon in Belgrade's propaganda war with the West."

Transkr./HTML: W. NÄSER 10.5.99