1.
GV Battlefield marked by smoke
canisters
0.05

2.
SV Troops PAN TO smoke
0.10

3.
LV Artillery bombarding area marked by smoke
0.18

4.
SV Body on ground PAN TO South Vietnamese troops
carrying stretcher
0.32

5.
SV & LV Tanks moving away
0.42

6.
LV Refugees emerging onto road
0.50

7.
SV & CU Refugees helped by troops along road (6 shots)
1.14

8.
SV PAN Man carrying boy on back along road
with others
1.19

9.
SV Troops attending injured boy
PAN TO injured women
1.28

10.
SV Women & children
along roadside
1.34

11.
SV Injured woman TILT TO
child helping injured woman
1.38

12.
SV Troops &
refugees on road
1.42

13.
GV Refugees onto lorry
1.47

14.
SV Soldiers putting injured boy onto jeep
1.50

15.
GV Refugees on truck with smoke in B/W
1.57



Initials SGM/0054 SGM/0112



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: After two months of devastating attacks by the North Vietnamese, the provincial capital of An Loc in South Vietnam has been relieved - and the survivors of the siege have began to
pour towards Saigon along Highway 13. This film, shot yesterday (Tuesday, June
13), shows some of these refugees as they move along the escape route. Many
including children - are seriously wounded. But they are reported to be the
"lucky" ones - a rough, unofficial estimate says at least 3,000 civilians have
died in An Loc.

Filmed about 5 miles (8 kilometres) north of Chon Thanh - where South Vietnamese
had artillery bases for shelling the V.C. Highway 13 positions - the film also
shows ARVN troops and damaged tanks; dead and wounded soldiers; other troops
helping refugees eat, wash and board lorries.

Throughout, explosions and shelling are seen only a short distance away.

SYNOPSIS: Highway thirteen in South Vietnam - south of the provincial capital of
An Loc, which has just been relieved by ARVN troops after a two-month siege by
the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. On Tuesday, near Chon Thanh, the evidence of
the devastating battle was still evident, as troops and survivors from An Loc
moved South towards Saigon.

North Vietnamese mortar and artillery fire are still hitting An Loc in the
not-too-far distance, as South Vietnamese tanks take up new positions for
attacking the Communist emplacements. A rough, unconfirmed estimate, says that
at least three thousand civilians have died in An Loc - these are the so-called
lucky ones....survivors of a devastation which has disseminated a whole
population of what was once an important city.

The numbers of the injured and destitute are innumerable. Reports indicate that
at least ten thousand Communist troops took part in the attacks - which are
estimated at having been in the region of one round of heavy fire every ninety
seconds during the siege.

While the relief and exodus operation was under way, South Vietnamese troops
took time off from the battle to help the refugees on their way south.