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Deaths reported after blasts hit London
20:09 AEST Thu Jul 7 2005
AAP
A number of people were killed in a series of explosions on London’s transport system at peak hour on Thursday, causing chaos in the British capital, police and transport officials said.Several blasts hit the underground network and police said there had been at least three explosions on buses in the city.
A source at the Metronet consortium that runs part of the capital’s underground network said “there were three explosions and there have been some fatalities”.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said the blasts had caused “terrible injuries”.
The causes of the incidents, a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as leaders of the Group of Eight rich nations met in Scotland, were unknown but police said many of the city’s underground stations were affected.
“It is too too early to state what has happened,” a London police spokesman said.
“I cannot comment on reports of bombs, but we have had multi-reports of explosions around London.”
People were seen streaming out of one underground station covered in blood and soot. Passengers were evacuated from stations across the capital, many in shock and with their clothes ripped to shreds, witnesses said.
The entire system was shut down and major thoroughfares were blocked off by police and ambulance services.
One bus was blown up in Tavistock Square in central London, a policeman told Reuters.
“There have been some casualties and this has been declared as a major incident,” said a spokeswoman for London’s Metropolitan Police.
Emergency services rushed to the Aldgate East underground station where police reported the first incident at 8.59am local time (1759 AEST).
“There were people streaming out of Algate station covered in blood,” said Kate Heywood, 27, on her way to work.
“There are shards of glass there, it is chaos,” she added. A Reuters correspondent at Oxford Circus station, at the heart of the underground system, heard an announcement over the public-address system saying: “A power outage has occurred London-wide. All train services are suspended.”
A station official said: “All the power has gone down. I don’t know when it’ll come back.”
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 dishevelled and with soot-blackened faces 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.
source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=54774
Details are sketchy at the moment, terrorist atacks have been considered high probability.
Scotland Yard has confirmed 2 fatalitilies so far.
6 blasts confirmed so far.
Reasons unclear. Possibilites for terrorism include G8 conference, IRA, same reasons as trade centre bombings of 2001, olympics decision.
PM “clear that this has been made to conincide with G8”.We’ll see what happenes next. I assume the USA will be awaking soon to news of this.
Good luck everyone.
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It’s no secret I don’t like London…but phfft…no one would want this to happen. *Stuck for something to say*. Umm…
Yes, this is dreadful. I have alot of family down there, my mum is phoning all that work in central London. Heard back from most, still waiting to hear from others. Sick with worry to be honest. I will just have to wait.
Ugh, this sucks. Can’t we all just…get along? No, nobody’s perfect, and there’s ALWAYS controversy somewhere, that’s what makes it Earth. The media in the US is saying that it was the Taliban behind all this, too, which is even more of a scary thought. My condolences to London. *tips hat*
It’s on all the news channels over here. A group linked ot Al Queda has taken responsibilty for it. Our emergency services have been absolutely fantastic though…well done to them.
Well, I am glad to report that I have found out that my cousin Jill is safe and sound. My mum and me spent the whole afternoon waiting for her call. Other family members of mine called me straight away, so she was the only one I was unsure about. I know London well I lived there for a while, and yes I went to NY and I am very found of the americans they treated me so kindly when I was there, it was exciting, we have a bond. But this is my country my homeland I am VERY proud of it. People want to hurt us and that means people I love and want in my life. I am not a person of hate, today I am just glad my family is safe and well. That’s all. And to top it all on my way home today I ran over a hedgehog! Yep top day, like not!
My heart goes out to London and everyone effected by the bombings. It saddens me to know that some people in the world think they can accomplish anything worthwhile through the killing of innocent people.
Thanks Jeff.
One thing is that the British people will come out the winners in this, as will democracy in the wider war on terror.
I’m totaly agianst this thinking that kill inocent people and accomplish your goals, feeling sorry for the families of all the people killed.
My sympathy and prayers go out to all the British and their families. I first heard of the sad news this morning around 6:30 am while listening to the radio getting ready for work. I believe I heard that everyone is calling it “The 9/11 of England” but I’m not sure of that.
Don’t worry, your American brothers and sisters stand tall behind you!
My heart goes out to all of you in London and Britain. I remember well when 9-11 happened and there was this feeling of disbelief and something like a hole inside. I was actually off in Puerto Rico and ALL of my family was in the upper 48. A friend of mine had a sons in college in DC and NYC…there’s a terrible feeling of waiting to hear from your loved ones.
I also remember well when the bombs hit Madrid…my husband was in Puerto Rico while his entire family, his country, were in this same situation.
How unfortunate OTHERS have to feel the hole, the pain, the disbelief at the hands of brigands. These people do not really know for what they are fighting…they are brainwashed, angry men who are also cowards…to just drop off backpacks and run away…that’s a cowards way. I will bet they didn’t even look in the faces of the people they killed, didn’t think about the lives they ripped apart, didn’t care about the fallout that comes about as a result of this. If people like this think that it will make Britain get out of the Middle East like Spain…they have another think coming. Spain was in the middle of an election, one that was, sadly, somewhat swayed by the bombing. What they do not understand, is they are going too far…they are do too much…Soon it will get to the point that no one will be neutral.
I hope that all of you in Britain will be able to mourn and heal and come out with a new, positive outlook on life. Do NOT let these people win by changing what you do and living in fear.
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