explosions in london

[dr0pdeadfred]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe...ube/index.html


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Near simultaneous explosions rocked the London Underground network and at least one bus at the morning rush hour, police said, causing fatalities and prompting officials to shut down the entire underground transport network.

In the first report of casualties, City of London police told CNN there had been two fatalities at Aldgate east station. At least 90 people are reported to have been injured.

The explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G8 summit was getting under way in Scotland. Initial reports blamed a power surge, but officials were not ruling out a terrorist attack.

"There have been a number of dreadful incidents across London today," said Home Secretary Charles Clarke, Britain's top law enforcement officer. He said there were "terrible injuries."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said authorities found found indications of explosives at the scene of one of the blasts and that there are concerns it was a coordinated terror attack.

"We are concerned that this is a coordinated attack. We are aware that one of the sites does containly does contain indications of explosives," Sir Ian Blair told Sky News.

He urged Londoners not to panic and said it was too early to say what caused the blasts.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would make a statement on the London explosions from the G8 summit at 1100GMT, his spokesman said.

A White House spokesman said U.S. President George W. Bush was aware of the explosions and had been in briefings with Blair all morning.

Claire Burroughs, spokeswoman for St Mary's Hospital in central London, told CNN the hospital was on "major incident alert."

Four patients were critically injured, eight were seriously injured and 14 others were being treated for minor injuries, she said.

"The types of injuries we are seeing include limb damage, burns, cuts, breaks, head injuries and chest problems due to smoke inhalation," Burroughs said.

The Tube blasts at the height of the rush hour on Thursday were initially blamed on a power surge.

But amid the chaos eyewitnesses reported that a packed double decker bus in the Russell Square area had been severely damaged in a blast.

There were media reports that a second bus had been damaged in Tavistock Square. Police told CNN they could not confirm that report.

Describing the Russell Square blast, eyewitness Belinda Seabrook told the UK Press Association she saw an explosion rip through the bus as it approached the Square.

"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.

One Tube passenger told CNN passengers had been packed in smoke-filled carriages "just waiting to die."

One passenger, with blood streaming down the left side of his face from a wound on his temple, said he didn't "want to live through it again."

"I was in the front carriage and people were severely injured there," he said, adding that his train had been in the tunnel between Kings Cross and Russell Square.

"I heard, but I don't know, that people were hurt worse further back. Some people were very calm, others very panicky."

"There was a very loud bang, the lights went out, the carriage filled with smoke," he said. "We were all thrown forward."

Travellers emerged from underground tunnels covered in blood and soot. Scotland Yard declared the emergency a "major incident."

Emergency services were called to London's Liverpool Street Station after reports of an explosion shortly before 9 a.m.

A short while later, London Underground said there had been "another incident at Edgware Road" station in north west London.

Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

[tvmann]

They said on CBC radio that they had a report from a U.S. gov source that the death total was 30+.

[wishbone]

33 plus whatever fatalities from the bus.

[DJDeeb]

My cousin works near Russell square:(

I hope she is alright.

[desiRAWR]

YIkes...My best friend's little sister is living in London right now...But yes. I know there's so many people in that area. It just makes you wonder and hope that the people you know aren't caught in something as dreadful as that.

[Sniper]

Ya my brother and his gf were supposed to leave for amsterdam from london yesterday but we don't know if they decided to stay another day or not.....we haven't heard from them yet.....they were gonna be taking the ferry to amsterdam but would have had to take a bus or underground to get to the ferry.......I'm just hoping they didn't decide to stay another day and are alright

[-DLO_604-]

I hope all your family, friends and aquaintences are all safe.

I can't believe that this has happened again. What's even more ironic is that this is the same day that London won the 2012 Olympics.

Who knows what else will happen.

[wum]

Al Qaeda and its inbedded fundy Islamic sleeper cells were able to attack Londonistan? I never saw that coming

[B.Traits]

oh my gosh, this is so terrible.
I got a strange phone call this morning from my boyfriend and then he gave me the news. we have so many close friends in London, and havent heard from any yet. I am supposed to go there next week, my flight leaves Wednesday. :(

[wum]

IBtonyblairsays "Islam is a religion of peace"

[stephen_c]

they'll catch whoever did it.
there're police security cameras everywhere in central london.
tight surveillance left over from the IRA days.

[miss.myra]

well gee, that will surely get the brits out of iraq and afghanistan. (eyeroll)

[wum]

[mapleleaf4ever]

Wow... just goes to show you're not safe even in the most heavily surveilled City in the World.

[wum]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

Wow... just goes to show you're not safe even in the most heavily surveilled City in the World.

you can't possibly keep a camera on every muslim over there

[stephen_c]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

Wow... just goes to show you're not safe even in the most heavily surveilled City in the World.

yah, there's no guarantee.

i remember about 5 years ago,
a bomb went off in a soho gay bar.
same week, a well-liked tv news presenter
was shot at her own door step.
both instances, the perpatraitors were caught
on street surveillance cameras.

[miss.myra]

Originally Posted by wum

IBtonyblairsays "Islam is a religion of peace"

"We know that these people act in the name of Islam, but we also know that the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims here and abroad are decent, law abiding people who abhor the act of terrorism every bit as much as we do," he said.

Need I remind you that nearly every major religion is guilty of terrorism, cold blooded murder of innocents, etc? Historically, Christians don't exactly come out smelling like roses, so I'd probably keep my mouth shut on this.

[Gusto]

Originally Posted by miss.myra

Need I remind you that nearly every major religion is guilty of terrorism, cold blooded murder of innocents, etc? Historically, Christians don't exactly come out smelling like roses, so I'd probably keep my mouth shut on this.

While that might be true, I'd expect people to critcize Christians for acts of terrorism too. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it. But then I guess we still don't know who is responsible for this one yet.

[wum]

Originally Posted by miss.myra

Need I remind you that nearly every major religion is guilty of terrorism, cold blooded murder of innocents, etc? Historically, Christians don't exactly come out smelling like roses, so I'd probably keep my mouth shut on this.

Given the political climate, i.e. the War on Terrorism and Bin Laden putting the sword to the infidels of the West, is it really wise to be importing millions of Muslims into the UK or the European Union?

Yes, not all Germans were Nazis during WWII, but that's like the Allies giving mass asylum to their citizens under the Wehrmacht gov't because otherwise it would be 'intolerant' and discriminatory.

Is it any wonder there are fifth columnist Al Qaeda "sleeper cells" in every major Western European capital? We can do without the fundies

[wum]

Originally Posted by gusto

While that might be true, I'd expect people to critcize Christians for acts of terrorism too. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it. But then I guess we still don't know who is responsible for this one yet.

Al Qaeda just claimed responsibility.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/eu...aim/index.html

Group lays claim to London blasts

'Al Qaeda in Europe' warns other nations

[stephen_c]

accounts of today's events from Canadian ex-pats in london.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...121648-cp.html

[Gusto]

Originally Posted by wum

Al Qaeda just claimed responsibility.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/eu...aim/index.html

Group lays claim to London blasts

'Al Qaeda in Europe' warns other nations

I know they did, but "CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the statement, which was posted on a Web site connected to Islamic radicals."

[wum]

Originally Posted by gusto

I know they did, but "CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the statement, which was posted on a Web site connected to Islamic radicals."

who else would it be

[Gusto]

Originally Posted by wum

who else would it be

Who knows, it's not for me to say. But Al Qaeda makes a very easy scapegoat. I'm not saying it wasn't them, just that we don't know. Why would we assume it was before confirming it?

[wum]

In any case, it's one of these guys