Blasts Rock London

zwarbyt · July 7, 2005, 5:14am

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/07/london.tube/index.html

CNN.COM:

LONDON, England (CNN) – Four explosions in London’s transport system have killed at least two people and wounded dozens more in what UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said was an apparent terrorist attack.

More fatalities were sure to follow – emergency services personnel told CNN that a rescue operation at Kings Cross station had successfully evacuated all survivors, leaving dead below ground “in the double digits.”

Three of the blasts took place in the city’s subway system and one more hit a double-decker bus, all at the height of rush hour.

International SOS, an international medical emergency service, reported that the police had found explosive traces in at least one of four confirmed blast locations.

Hospital officials have reported at least 160 wounded. London transit officials shut down the entire Underground and stopped buses in the central city district.

“We are dealing with large numbers of casualties,” he said, “and we believe a number of fatalities.”

Blair, in Scotland where he is hosting the G8 summit, told reporters he would leave the summit for a “face to face” report in London and then return later in the evening.

“It’s reasonably clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London,” Blair said. "There are obviously casualties, both people that have died and peole that are seriously injured.

Blair said it was “also reasonably clear” that the attacks were timed to coincide with the opening of the summit.

“It’s particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of proverty in Africa and the long-term problems with the environment,” he said. (Full text)

A White House spokesman said President Bush is aware of the explosions and had been in briefings with Blair all morning.

Despite calls from officials to stay home, however, Londoners were on the streets except in areas where they were barred by police.

Police cordoned off areas around six stations in and around the city’s center and financial area and brought in sniffer dogs to check the areas.

Telephone traffic – particularly by cell phone – was nearly impossible. London’s largest cellular provider, Vodaphone, said it had devoted much of its network to emergency services, causing the problems with subscribers.

London’s police chief said the explosions, which began at about 8:50 a.m. (3:50 a.m. ET), certainly appeared coordinated.

One man, 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, dispassionately, 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.”

Another man, clearly shaken by his experience, described being on a smoke-filled carriage on the same train, he and his fellow passengers afraid to try to leave the train.

“We were all trapped like sardines waiting to die,” said Angelo Power. “I honestly thought I was going to die, as did everyone else.”

A police spokesman urged Londoners to “stay where you are.”

“There’s no way to travel around London at the moment,” he said.

“There is a London emergency plan,” he said. “It has been put into effect. It is being coordinated by the Metropolitan Police, and that’s about all I can say at the moment.”

Scotland Yard sent out a notice saying that “public transport in London will be affected in the next few days.”

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.

London Hospital said it received 95 patients, most with minor injuries. Ten, however were listed in serious condition and seven in critical condition as well as “numerous with significant orthopedic injuries requiring immediate surgery.”

CNN cameraman Oran O’Reilly said he has seen seven of the city’s famed double-decker buses as well as police cars and ambulances arriving with casualties.

Another hospital told CNN it had taken in 40 wounded.

British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said the explosions took place between Russell Square and Kings Cross Underground; near the Moorgate, Aldgate and Liverpool Street stations Underground; and the Edgware Road station.

The fourth explosion on a bus just outside Tavistock Hotel.

London Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and London’s fire brigade are investigating, according to Scotland Yard.

O’Reilly, who was at Aldgate station, saw passengers coming out of it with signs of smoke inhalation – black smudges around their mouths and noses.

“They’re pushing people away from the tube (train) station,” O’Reilly said. “Police are telling us to evacuate the street.”

Also at Aldgate, CNN producer Roger Clark said he had seen people with blood running down their faces, with many others looking stunned.

An eyewitness who was on a train told Clark the car in front of him exploded and then the the train tunnel filed with smoke.

Separately, the London Fire Service said it was responding to a report of an explosion on a bus at Russell Square. Chamberlin heard a loud explosion in central London. Witnesses told him they saw a heavily damaged double-decker bus.

POOPRA · July 7, 2005, 5:44am

My cousin is in London right now on study abroad for the summer. He IMed me that he felt the blasts go off, and everything is pretty crazy there right now.

Lucky_Cheater · July 7, 2005, 6:01am

Well, taking over Iraq sure solved that problem didn’t it Mr. Blaire (Mr. Bush included).

:roll2:

-Cheater-

RobHimself · July 7, 2005, 6:37am

Holy shit, Im surprised there wasnt more people killed, but the subways there are more solid than the fuckhead terrorists give them credit for.

Lucky_Cheater · July 7, 2005, 7:40am

Seriously, what kind of incompetent terrorist can blow off that many explosives and only kill two people

not that it’s a bad thing

-Cheater-

RobHimself · July 7, 2005, 7:45am

that was my inital thought but i guess those were just the beginning death tolls, they are up to 40 but im sure it will go up. i think their goal was to collapse a huge section of the london underground but the thing was built to withstand a heck of alot more than a few small bombs.

Lucky_Cheater · July 7, 2005, 7:55am

True, True

-Cheater-

Daddie · July 7, 2005, 8:22am

This shiet pisses me off so much…

Anyone think it has something to do with London winning the bid for the olympics…

jay_g · July 7, 2005, 8:25am

If it did they sure got things running quick. Usually big attacks like that are planned out.

zwarbyt · July 7, 2005, 8:47am

no its the summit about to start regaring african healthcare/aids and the environemtn

Straight6 · July 7, 2005, 8:47am

Yeah it seems to be changing by the minute now they are saying: “Three U.S. law enforcement officials said at least 40 people were killed and London hospitals reported more than 350 wounded in the terror attacks.”

This is just completely disgusting! :mad:

TrueBlue · July 7, 2005, 8:54am

:tup: G8, they said.

OfficerK · July 7, 2005, 9:07am

Same thought crossed my mind. Even though the planning stages for something like this do take some time, who is to say they don’t have terrorists located in each of the four cities that were up for selection. Its not impossible, but a bit farfetched.

I still think it was VERY smart of them not to attack US soil. They know that the very large majority of the american public will easily shrug this off because “it doesn’t effect them”. Had this happened in NYC, the response would have been immediate and harsh, considering this trigger happy cowboy we have in office.

newman · July 7, 2005, 10:27am

so true, and it really pisses me off…

Lucky_Cheater · July 7, 2005, 10:39am

if a bomb doesn’t fall in my backyard it doesnt fall at all…and if it falls on poor peoples stuff it really didnt happen…it negatively happened…so if it does happened tomorrow, it will be cancelled out.

-Typical American-

jeeves744 · July 7, 2005, 11:27am

So you mean the same way people in other countries think also? How many countries help us during stuff like this?

But ya it sucks, but this is the face of war. Alot of civilians are being killed in Iraq so its gonna happen elsewhere also.

Disclaimer…Dont take that as me saying its ok or good or anything like that.

Lucky_Cheater · July 7, 2005, 11:47am

Yea, ethnocentrism exists everywhere, not just america, this is true.

and not many countries do step in to help us when shit goes down.

heres a heated question

do you think the U.S. is obligated, as the most powerful nation in the world, to help poorer nations in their time of need (where as poorer nations are not obligated to help us)?

let’s keep it above the belt.

-Cheater-

DJ_X-StatiK · July 7, 2005, 11:47am

i cant believe this crap happens continously around the world…i thought about it being because of the olympics at first, but i doubt that since it seems well planned out and occured in 4 places…

i have a friend studying in London right now as well…havent heard from him just yet but i hope he’s alright

jeeves744 · July 7, 2005, 12:55pm

if you want to ask that i say make a new thread so this one doesnt go way offtopic. Then i will answer it.

EMX · July 7, 2005, 7:16pm

37 people killed, 700 injured now.