Looters try to break into children’s hospital

This is disgusting:

Late Tuesday, Gov. Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher described a disturbing scene unfolding in uptown New Orleans, where looters were trying to break into Children’s Hospital.

Bottcher said the director of the hospital fears for the safety of the staff and the 100 kids inside the hospital. The director said the hospital is locked, but that the looters were trying to break in and had gathered outside the facility.

The director has sought help from the police, but, due to rising flood waters, police have not been able to respond.

Even some New Orleans police officers are getting in on the looting at local stores:

At the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, an initial effort to hand out provisions to stranded citizens quickly disintegrated into mass looting. Authorities at the scene said bedlam erupted after the giveaway was announced over the radio.

While many people carried out food and essential supplies, others cleared out jewelry racks and carted out computers, TVs and appliances on handtrucks.

Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a 27-inch flat screen television.

(Hat tip Brian Collier at Vodkapundit) 

Unbelievable.   The city of New Orleans has descended into chaos as, unfortunately, natural disasters sometimes tend to bring out the worst in people.   It’s difficult to get them all the help they need seeing as that the roads, bridges, and highways leading into NO are mostly impassable.

Louisiana’s governor has declared today a day of prayer.

Related:

Afternoon update: Jason at Generation Why? has some suggestions for what to do with the looters.

Comments are closed.