Blasts Across London

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Several people have been injured after explosions on the Underground network and a double-decker bus in London.

A police spokesman said there were "quite a large number of casualties" at Aldgate Tube Station.

And Scotland Yard confirmed one of several reports of explosions on buses in the city - in Tavistock Place - but said the cause was not yet known.

UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke said several explosions in central London had caused "terrible injuries".

"The health services are in support to deal with the terrible injuries that there have been," Clarke told reporters outside Downing Street.

Number 10 said it was "still unsure" whether the explosions were a terrorist attack and although casualties were reported, no further details were yet available.

Ministers are meeting to clarify the situation and the government will make a statement later, Leader of the House Geoff Hoon told the Commons.

One caller to BBC Five said his friend had seen "the bus ripped open like a can of sardines and bodies everywhere".

And the Press Association quoted union officials as saying sources had told them there had been at least one explosive device on the Underground.

   
There was immediately smoke everywhere and it was hot and everybody panicked. People started screaming and crying
Jacqui Head
BBC News

Bus 'ripped apart' in explosion

British Transport Police said incidents took place at Aldgate, Edgware Road, King's Cross, Old Street and Russell Square stations.

Scotland Yard confirmed they were assisting with a "major incident" and said there were casualties.

Hospitals have said they are no longer accepting non-emergency cases, BBC Five Live reported.

The National Grid, which supplies power to the Underground, said there had been no problems with its system which could have contributed to the incidents.

'Screaming and crying'

Jacqui Head, from BBC News, who had just left King's Cross station on a Piccadilly Line train as an explosion happened, said: "Everything was normal. Suddenly there was a massive bang, the train jolted.

"There was immediately smoke everywhere and it was hot and everybody panicked. People started screaming and crying."

The train was kept in the tunnel for 20 minutes and no announcement was made to explain the delay to passengers, she added.

Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, near Kings Cross, told Five Live: "My only thought in the midst of all this confusion is that after the celebration of yesterday (for the Olympic 2012 London success) for people to be evil enough - if it is the intentional causing of death and injury - and think that they can justify this in any circumstances is completely unacceptable."

London Fire Brigade said four crews were at Liverpool Street and more were on their way.

Another passenger, who had left the Tube at Fenchurch Street Station, and walked to Aldgate East, told BBC Five Live that he saw injured people.

"As I walked through the bus station I could see people lying on the ground, black, as if they'd been covered in smoke. There were about three or four people on the floor being treated."

Eyewitness Paul Woloszyn from BBC News, who was at Blackhorse Road station on the Victoria Line, said: "We were told there was a bomb at Liverpool Street station.

"I was on the Tube, and they stopped the train and told everyone to get off and evacuate the station."

He said staff had said the entire Tube network had been affected, and leaflets had been handed out with details of alternative bus routes.

Another eyewitness, Dorothy Molloy, had been on a Tube train at King's Cross and said "staff just chucked everyone out of the station".

She said staff there had not given any details, but she said two passengers she had spoken to had said they had received messages saying there had been bombs.

"People didn't really know what was going on, they were just huffing and puffing and saying how annoying it was," she said.

"People don't seem to be panicked, but there's so many police and ambulances coming into the areas. People are just concerned, and some are just annoyed at the delay."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4659093.stm

[Jessica]

that what's i have been trying to tell english people, tony blair has made ennemies and although you diss chirac, we won't have bombs.

And i have almost died in an IRA bomb years ago, so i know how terrible a bomb is, and you have to live with why you lived, and why they didn't.

[Lineker10]

that what's i have been trying to tell english people, tony blair has made ennemies and although you diss chirac, we won't have bombs.

And i have almost died in an IRA bomb years ago, so i know how terrible a bomb is, and you have to live with why you lived, and why they didn't.

Yes - we should just sit back and let terrorists do whatever they want - Chirac is a stupid goon. The french plan of doing nothing is a great one as long as they can sit around doing nothing while someone does.

Apparently BBC is saying its Al-Queida that have planted the bombs. Thers also 2 people dead at one Lopndon hospital so far. I guess all this will do is silence the anti-war protesters and make people in Britain more pro-war. Id be intrested to see what happens after this in releation to Iraq/Afganistan.

[nesquick]

that what's i have been trying to tell english people, tony blair has made ennemies and although you diss chirac, we won't have bombs.

And i have almost died in an IRA bomb years ago, so i know how terrible a bomb is, and you have to live with why you lived, and why they didn't.

Oh my god...

Courage to England.

[jarmo]

This is so sad.....




I was just about to head out when I found out.




/jarmo

[Jamie]

Although my heart does go out to the families who have lost people; it is completely unjust to automatically blame Arab groups with no evidence whatsoever. There is one word for that-racist.

[Lineker10]

Although my heart does go out to the families who have lost people; it is completely unjust to automatically blame Arab groups with no evidence whatsoever. There is one word for that-racist.

If you look at my above post youll find that i said the BBC are reporting this. Arab TV has apparently reported that this is the work of Al-Queida - so i wasnt just dumping it on the arabs.

[Jamie]

Although my heart does go out to the families who have lost people; it is completely unjust to automatically blame Arab groups with no evidence whatsoever. There is one word for that-racist.

If you look at my above post youll find that i said the BBC are reporting this. Arab TV has apparently reported that this is the work of Al-Queida - so i wasnt just dumping it on the arabs.

I know that, my post wasn't directed at you, it was at the people who are reporting it was Al-Queida without any solid proof

[Lineker10]

Although my heart does go out to the families who have lost people; it is completely unjust to automatically blame Arab groups with no evidence whatsoever. There is one word for that-racist.

If you look at my above post youll find that i said the BBC are reporting this. Arab TV has apparently reported that this is the work of Al-Queida - so i wasnt just dumping it on the arabs.

I know that, my post wasn't directed at you, it was at the people who are reporting it was Al-Queida without any solid proof

Correct me if im wrong - but i dont belive anyone has reported it as Al-Queida without solid proof.

[Jamie]

Well there are people reporting that Al-Queida are behind the bombings. Where is their proof? Have Al-Queida come forward and claimed that they were behind the bombings?

[Lineker10]

Well there are people reporting that Al-Queida are behind the bombings. Where is their proof? Have Al-Queida come forward and claimed that they were behind the bombings?

Well your post is wrong in a couple of ways - 1) Arab TV and Al Queida experts are reporting they think its them - i trust they have more knowledge on the matter than you and 2) Why are you defending Al Quedia!

[Jamie]

1) I will believe it when Al-Queida themselves come forward and claim they were behind the bombings, or there is some other solid proof 100% that they are responsible. Experts can be wrong too.
2) I am not defending Al-Queida, I am defending the right of innocent until proven guilty. And it is also because I am suspicious of international government blaming these things on groups such as Al-Queida, 100's of thousands of innocent Arabs have died on a wild goose chase for WMD's that are still not proven to even exist, and on another wild goose chase for Osama Bin Laden who has yet to be found. I do not want another bogus war carried out in the middle-east wherein thousands of innocent people are murdered for no reason.

[Lineker10]

1) I will believe it when Al-Queida themselves come forward and claim they were behind the bombings, or there is some other solid proof 100% that they are responsible. Experts can be wrong too.
2) I am not defending Al-Queida, I am defending the right of innocent until proven guilty. And it is also because I am suspicious of international government blaming these things on groups such as Al-Queida, 100's of thousands of innocent Arabs have died on a wild goose chase for WMD's that are still not proven to even exist, and on another wild goose chase for Osama Bin Laden who has yet to be found. I do not want another bogus war carried out in the middle-east wherein thousands of innocent people are murdered for no reason.

1) Sometimes Al-quedeia dont always come forward and admit it
2) You yourself are generalising all Arabs with Al-Quedia. Just becasue people blame Al-Quedia doesnt mean we blame Arabs in anyway! Even if it wasnt Al-Quedia there still guilty of other crimes. How are Al-Quedia "Innocent until proven guilty" - that statement is amazing! Im pretty sure they have proven themselves in other incedents that they are guilty of crimes and terrorism.

If it isnt them - then it isnt them, but at the moment im going with what the experts are reporting.

[Lineker10]

The BBC are reporting that on an Al-Quedia website there has been a stament posted claiming responsibility.

[Jamie]

1) If they don't always come forward and admit it, they probably didn't do it, they always admit what they have done, if they are indeed guilty of THIS crime then I will admit I was wrong. I am just sceptical of western politicians blaming things on groups without proof.
2)If it appears to you I am generalising all Arabs with Al-Queida, that was not my intention, what I am trying to express is that Al-Queida and other groups such as this are blamed for these crimes, but it is always the innocent people who live in the country they operate in that end up suffering at the hands of western military. When I said "innocent until proven guilty", I was talking about individual terrorist attacks. There is no doubt in my mind that Al-Queida have been behind terrorist attacks in the past. But there is no solid proof at this time that they are behind THIS attack. Over the past few years I have become highly sceptic if what government tells it's public about wars/terrorist attacks. I believe nothing until there is un-deniable proof.

[Jamie]

The BBC are reporting that on an Al-Quedia website there has been a stament posted claiming responsibility.

Fine, I withdraw my statements as I said I would. If Al-Queida claim responsibility, I believe they are responsible. Although, even BBC have said this has not been completely confirmed yet. If Al-Queida have indeed claimed responsibility as is being reported I believe it.

[jarmo]

Blasts rock London, Blair says "terrorist attacks"
07 Jul 2005 11:38:31 GMT

Source: Reuters
 
(Adds quotes, details, background)

By Alistair MacDonald

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Explosions rocked London on Thursday, killing several people and wounding scores in what Prime Minister Tony Blair called an apparent terror attack coinciding with a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Scotland.

Witnesses saw the top ripped off a double-decker bus near Russell Square close to King's Cross train terminal and the twisted wreckage of another in Tavistock Square nearby.

Several underground subway stations also were hit.

"I was on the bus," said a dazed passenger on one of the buses that was hit. "I looked round and the seats behind me were gone."

Blair told reporters he would return from the G8 summit immediately to deal with the emergency.

"It is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London," he told reporters.

London has so far escaped the 2004 Madrid-style bombings blamed on al Qaeda, and the blasts on Thursday left London residents in shock.

Italy's interior minister said all of Europe was on alert.

Britain has been key ally of the United States in its war in Iraq, where al Qaeda is waging a bloody insurgency. The blasts occurred one day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

CONFUSION BLURS NUMBERS

It was unclear in all the confusion how many people were killed and wounded.

Police said two people were killed at Aldgate East underground station in the financial centre of the city, with a further 90 people wounded. Around 100 wounded people were taken to Royal London Hospital, 10 of them in critical condition.

London's police chief Ian Blair said there were indications of explosives at one of the blast sites.

"We are aware that one of the sites certainly does contain indications of explosives," he told Sky Television. "We are concerned that this is a co-ordinated attack."

People were seen streaming out of one underground station covered with blood and soot. Passengers were evacuated from stations across the capital, many in shock and with their clothes ripped to shreds, witnesses said.

The city's streets were gridlocked and financial markets plummeted as it became increasingly apparent that the blasts were an attack, and not a power surge on the underground train system as had been reported.

Security experts said the apparent attacks bore all the hallmarks of the al Qaeda network.

"If what we are looking at is a simultaneous bombing, and it does look like that, it would very certainly fit the classic al Qaeda methodology which centres precisely on that, multi-seated hits on transport and infrastructural targets," said Shane Brighton, intelligence expert at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence.

MARKETS PLUNGE

On the currency market, the Swiss franc hit a six-week high against sterling and rose more than 1 percent against the dollar following the explosions.

"The market is showing a textbook reaction, buying safe-haven currencies like the Swiss franc and euro and away from the dollar," said Marios Maratheftis, currency strategist at Standard Chartered.

Oil prices fell three percent and London's FTSE stock exchange had also lost around three percent.

Emergency services rushed to the Aldgate East underground station where police reported one incident at 8:59 a.m. local time (0759 GMT), the spokeswoman said.

"There were people streaming out of Aldgate station covered in blood," said Kate Heywood, 27, on her way to work.

"There are shards of glass there, it is chaos," she added.

Police sealed off large areas around other underground and mainline rail stations. Firemen donned chemical protection suits before rushing into stations.

Half a dozen people with soot-blackened faces and dishevelled clothes sat on the floor at Russell Square underground station or stood in shock as police cordoned off the area and ambulances crews raced in, one witness said.

The Great Eastern Hotel, which was hosting a conference on the Israeli economy, was evacuated. Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled plans to attend the conference.





/jarmo

[ppbebe]

Awful Again. everybody is ok here?

Jamie,
I still don't want another war.
What I hate most about terrorists is they attack innocent and unarmed citizens. That's all we need.

[sandman]

that what's i have been trying to tell english people, tony blair has made ennemies and although you diss chirac, we won't have bombs.

And i have almost died in an IRA bomb years ago, so i know how terrible a bomb is, and you have to live with why you lived, and why they didn't.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050707/ap_on_re_mi_ea/britain_explosions_al_qaida

[Chris Misfit]

And i have almost died in an IRA bomb years ago

Almost died? How close were you to dying?