Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Terror blasts rock London

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Thu, 07 Jul 2005 07:22:12 -0700

[Zepps_News] Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Terror

blasts rock London

 

 

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1523169,00.html

 

*Terror blasts rock London*

 

**·** 'At least 40 dead' as bus and tube hit

**·** Blair condemns 'barbaric' attack

**·** Claim by Al-Qaida group

**· Emergency hotline: 0870 1566**

 

*Sarah Left, Mark Oliver and agencies

Thursday July 7, 2005*

 

The wreckage of a bus on Tavistock Square following a series of

explosions on London's underground and bus network. Photograph: Ker

Robertson/Getty Images

The wreckage of a bus on Tavistock Square following a series of

explosions on London's underground and bus network. Photograph: Ker

Robertson/Getty Images

 

 

A series of explosions ripped through London's transport system today as

suspected terrorist attacks on tube trains and a bus killed and injured

many people and plunged the capital into chaos.

 

Ambulance sources told Sky News that at least 40 people had been killed

in four blasts, though police had earlier confirmed only two deaths.

Hundreds of wounded people are being treated

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1523193,00.html> in

London hospitals.

 

Officials shut down the whole of the London Underground system and the

Docklands Light Railway, and cancelled all central London bus services

as they tried to comprehend the scale of the disaster.

 

The prime minister, Tony Blair

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1523274,00.html>,

said it was " reasonably clear " that the blasts were the work of

terrorists, and added that it was " particularly barbaric " that attacks

had been timed to coincide with the start of the G8 summit. He said he

would leave Gleneagles, in Scotland, to return to London.

 

With the leaders of the G8 nations lined up behind him, Mr Blair said:

" We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks.

 

" All of our countries have suffered from terrorism ... we are united in

our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack

on one nation but on all nations and on civilised society everywhere, "

he said.

 

He insisted the G8 leaders would continue their discussions and would

not allow the terrorists to halt a summit aimed at helping the world's

poorest people.

 

The home secretary, Charles Clarke, confirmed that there had been four

blasts: one on a tube train between Aldgate and Liverpool Street, one on

a train between Russell Square and King's Cross, one on a train at

Edgware Road station, and the last on a bus at Tavistock Square. Earlier

reports had spoken of seven attacks amid confusion as incidents were

reported by those in stations at both ends of the affected track.

 

The only attack that occurred in full view of the general public was

that on the double-decker bus

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1523183,00.html>. A

bomb ripped the number 30 bus apart at Tavistock Square, near Russell

Square, peeling away its sides, blowing off the roof and leaving the few

remaining seats exposed. Sir Ian said the bomb had exploded in the back

part of the top deck of the bus.

 

*Coordinated attacks across London*

 

The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, said: " We are

concerned that this is a coordinated attack. "

 

The police and government did not say who had carried out the attacks.

However, BBC Monitoring said it had found a website carrying a brief

statement in which an al-Qaida-related organisation claimed

responsibility for today's blasts.

 

*Heavy casualties*

 

The number of attacks, coupled with their scale and rush-hour timing,

meant there were heavy casualties, with the death toll expected to rise

and some estimates putting the number of wounded at up to 1,000. This

afternoon ambulance sources said at least 40 people had been killed.

Earlier, police said two people had been killed in the explosion at

Aldgate, and an unknown number had died at Edgware Road. CNN cited an

emergency services worker who had carried out several bodies from the

King's Cross site and seen at least 13 more.

 

A policeman at the scene of the bus explosion at Tavistock Square said

people had been killed there, and the ambulance service spoke of " a

number " of fatalities.

 

Sir Ian said there had been many casualties, and that the most seriously

injured were currently being operated on.

 

Both Sir Ian and Mr Clarke urged people to stay at home until further

notice, telling them not go into central London. People currently

working in the centre of the capital are being advised to stay where

they are.

 

" We are gradually bringing order to the city. Just stay where you are

for the time being until the situation clears, " he said.

 

*Hospitals deal with horrific injuries*

 

The Royal London hospital said it had treated 208 people, including ten

with critical injuries. The Royal Free hospital treated 55 people, and

University College hospital treated another 50 people.

 

St Mary's Hospital, in Paddington near Edgware Road, said later it had

received 36 casualties, of whom six are critically injured, 17 seriously

injured and 13 have minor injuries. Julian Nettle, of St Mary's

hospital, said staff dealing with critical injuries, including the loss

of limbs, and serious injuries including head wounds. Others were being

treated for more minor injuries including temporary hearing loss, which

he said appeared to have been caused by involvement in an explosion.

 

A woman who works in Tavistock Square said she had seen bodies lying

around the bus explosion, some of them without arms or legs. " Get people

down here quickly, " she sobbed. She thought a bomb had gone off and was

trying to evacuate her office.

 

" We believe there have been a number of fatalities and a number of

people who are seriously injured, " a policeman at the scene said.

 

Union officials said sources had told them there had been at least one

explosive device on the Underground. British Transport police initially

said power surges had caused explosions across the network.

 

The blasts began just before 9am, as commuters made their way to work.

 

Emergency services attended to wounded passengers outside Aldgate

station, and there were reports of passengers covered in soot emerging

from King's Cross. Commuters came out of tunnels covered in blood.

 

A passenger on the train that exploded at Edgware Road said he had seen

several bodies in the wreckage, the Press Association reported.

 

A Scotland Yard source said the force would be setting up a casualty

bureau with a telephone number for people to call if they were worried

about loved ones.

 

*Downing Street emergencies committee meets*

 

Mr Clarke said the public would be kept updated on the situation. He

confirmed there had been " terrible injuries " in the explosions across

the capital.

 

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street soon after the blasts, he said the

Cobra civil emergencies committee of senior ministers had met.

 

The police had taken " operational command " of the situation, he added.

 

" Health services are in support to deal with the terrible injuries that

there have been, and I want to express sympathy on behalf of the whole

government, " he said.

 

*'There were loads of people screaming'*

 

Eyewitness Belinda Seabrook said she saw the explosion rip though the

double-decker bus as it approached Tavistock Square, between Euston and

Russell Square stations.

 

" I was on the bus in front and heard an incredible bang. I turned round

and half the double-decker bus was in the air, " she said.

 

Simon Corvett, 26, from Oxford, was on the eastbound train leaving

Edgware Road tube station when an explosion happened.

 

" All of sudden there was this huge bang. It was absolutely deafening and

all the windows shattered. The glass did not actually fall out of the

windows, it just cracked. The train came to a grinding halt and everyone

fell off their seats, " he said.

 

Mr Corvett, who works in public relations, said the commuter train was

absolutely packed. " There were just loads of people screaming and the

carriages filled with smoke.

 

" You couldn't really breathe and you couldn't see what was happening.

The driver came on the Tannoy and said 'We have got a problem, don't

panic', " he said.

 

Mr Corvett, whose face was covered in soot, joined other passengers to

force open the train doors with a fire extinguisher. He said the

carriage on the other track was destroyed. " You could see the carriage

opposite was completely gutted. There were some people in real trouble. "

 

Eyewitnesses reported " multiple casualties " at Liverpool Street. A

spokesman for the Airport Express Alliance, which operates the Heathrow

Express, Gatwick Express and Stansted Express train services said: " They

are operating on injured people on the concourse at Liverpool Street

station. "

 

One witness who had been in a train at the time of the explosions

reported seeing " bodies everywhere " in the carriages and limbs lying on

the floor. Emergency services reported several injuries.

 

The shutdown of the London Underground system is thought to be

unprecedented.

 

*Public told to avoid London*

 

The public were warned

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1523306,00.html> to

stay clear of London for non-essential journeys. A Network Rail

spokesman said southbound services into the capital were terminating at

Watford, with no onward bus transfers.

 

" Some trains are being cancelled and others are getting as far as

Watford, " he said. " The message we are trying to get across to

passengers is don't travel if you don't have to. "

 

Mr Clarke said the Tube network would remain closed for some time, and

certainly for the rest of the day.

 

News of the explosions caused the FTSE 100 index of leading shares to

plunge by more than 200 points.

 

 

 

--