Posted on 07/07/2005 3:47:19 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
LONDON — At least six blasts rocked the London subway and tore open a packed double-decker bus during the morning rush hour today, police said, killing at least two people and injuring nine, prompting officials to shut down the entire underground transport network.
The near simultaneous explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G-8 summit was getting underway in Scotland. Initial reports blamed a power surge, but officials were not ruling out an intentional 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."
One witness, Darren Hall, said some passengers emerging from an evacuated subway station had soot and blood on their faces. He told BBC TV that he was evacuated along with others near the major King's Cross station and only afterward heard a blast.
Police confirmed an explosion destroyed a double-decker bus at Russell Square in central London and said they suspected a bomb caused the blast. Dow Jones Newswires reported that police said there were explosions on two others buses.
A witness at the Russell Square blast said the entire top deck of that bus was destroyed.
"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," Belinda Seabrook told Press Association, the British news agency.
She said the bus was packed with people.
"It was a massive explosion and there were papers and half a bus flying through the air," she said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was hosting the world's most powerful leaders at Gleneagles, Scotland, was expected to make a statement at 7 a.m. EDT. It was not clear if the G-8 gathering focusing on climate change and aid for Africa — but from which Iraq has largely been left off the agenda — would have to be postponed.
Police said incidents were reported at the Aldgate station near the Liverpool Street railway terminal, Edgware Road and King's Cross in north London, Old Street in the financial district and Russell Square in central London, near the British Museum.
London Ambulance Service said several vehicles had been dispatched to the area near Liverpool Street station.
"We believe there was some sort of explosion. There are some walking wounded at Aldgate," said a spokesman for City of London police, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We are not sure of the scale of the incident. Reports are still coming in."
Bradley Anderson, a subway passenger, told Sky News that "there was some kind of explosion or something" as his train reached the Edgware Road station in northeast London.
"Everything went black and we collided into some kind of oncoming train," Anderson said.
Simon Corvett, 26, who was on an eastbound train from Edgware Road station, said: "All of sudden there was this massive huge bang."
"It was absolutely deafening and all the windows shattered," he said. "There were just loads of people screaming and the carriages filled with smoke.
"You could see the carriage opposite was completely gutted," he said. "There were some people in real trouble."
Jane Wardell ought to go back to school . Terribly written article .
The worst thing they could do would be to postpone this - why is the AP even mentioning it?
Oh.
Right.
AP
Never mind.
WWIII
It does seem that these terrorists don't have the abilities they had on 9/11.
We should have wrapped this up 2 years ago and we could have if we had gone after these barbaric animals like we meant it.
Now will the Democrats please let us fight? Is this enough blood for the liberals? Can we fight NOW?!?!
"[L]et's just kill them all where we find them."
Thank you!
Maybe the Teddy Kennedy and the other terrorist sympathizers will finally let us go after the terrorists. Maybe this is enough blood to convince the Democrats that its time to finally fight like we mean it.
Britain doesn't have to worry about that...we're with them all the way and they know it.
They are showing Blair leaving and are saying where he is going. I hope that Blair's helicopter has the latest and greatest MANPAD countermeasures. The Moslems have these smuggled in to the UK for sure. Same as they likely do in the US since it's so easy to smuggle them across the border.
... yeah, right.
The way Paul Martin talks about the US, he'd probably help them smuggle them in the US.
As GWB said," your either for us, or against us"
And Canada definetly ain't for us.
And as the great Ronald Reagan said "the bombing starts in 30 minutes"
"London can take it." -- Winston Churchill, 1941
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