Posted on 07/07/2005 1:45:13 AM PDT by RWR8189
There has been an explosion at Aldgate East underground station in London, causing the closure of the entire Tube network.
There are also reports that a second incident took place at Edgware Road station in north west London.
The Aldgate East blast was caused by "some kind of power surge", according to Tube infrastructure company Metronet, which is responsible for maintaining the Metropolitan line.
A spokesman said: "We don't know the extent of the problem yet."
A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We have just sent some resources out to the scene."
British Transport Police confirmed that there are "walking wounded" and said paramedics have responded to one report of a person classed as "life at risk".
"It's chaos, with people trying to work out what has happened," said a spokesman.
"All we know at the moment is that staff reported a loud bang at 8.49am. No one is sure what caused an explosion, but it is thought it could have been a collision, a power cut, or a power cable problem."
One witness said the packed underground train he was on was 200 metres from Kings Cross when there was a huge flash.
The train stopped and people were using umberellas to smash windows of the trains. Passengers were led out of the train by underground staff.
He added people were milling around Kings Cross covered in soot.
What's going on over in Britain????
Can you give any description of the magnitude of the blast you heard?
According to Sky News AP confirms:
Double decker blown up....
Might be rumour, but this is what people coming into the office after disrupted journeys are saying and that explosion I heard did not sound like an underground power surge.
Have you seen this?
Thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones.
My son is fine, he and his friends all over slept or they would have been on the tube going right through that area to go to work for their last day. It's amazing how God works, sometimes. It's like those people who were late to work on 9/11.
People hurt in Tube 'power surge'
Passengers were evacuated from King's Cross station
Several people have been injured after explosions blamed on a power surge led to the whole London Underground network being closed down.
British Transport Police said some of the power surges had caused explosions.
Surges took place at Aldgate, Edgware Road, King's Cross, Old Street and Russell Square stations.
A spokesman said there were "walking wounded" at Liverpool Street station but one person's life was reported to be "at risk".
London Fire Brigade said four crews were at Liverpool Street and more were on their way.
A British Transport Police spokesman said that emergency services were dealing with reports of an explosion at 0849 BST on the Metropolitan Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate.
One 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 an evacuated 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."
From Sky news http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1188273,00.html
SURVIVORS DESCRIBE EXPLOSIONS
Passengers involved in the Metropolitan Line explosion are reported to have attempted to smash the windows of their Tube carriages with umbrellas in an attempt to escape.
Another witness told Sky News there was an explosion at the back of a Tube carriage and he had seen bodies.
Police are thought to have been sent into tunnels to evacuate people along the tracks.
Bradley Anderson told Sky News that he was involved in the Edgware Road incident on a Circle line train.
He said: "We just left Paddington station. About 15 seconds later there was some kind of explosion and we collided with another train.
"We were heading into the station when there was some kind of explosion or something.
"Everything went black and we collided into some kind of oncoming train.
"There was debris all over the trains. They evacuated us."
Clare Benson, 33, a city banker from Kensington, was on a tube at Edware Road when she heard a massive explosion in the tunnel behind her.
It was about 8.40am.
"I was in the last carriage at the back of the train nearest the tunnel when I heard a huge bang - you could feel it.
"The lights went off for a couple of minutes and people were scared and wondering what to do.
"The drivers got out and were looking into the tunnel, then they announced that we should evacuate.
"My ears are still ringing and I was shaking."
One witess told Sky there was an explosion at the back of a tube carriage.
"There was a big hole in the carriage. There were people lying everywhere covered in blood," he said.
"People were screaming. We could not get out.
"The explosion was at the back of the carriage."
He said people managed to walk through the carriages to get out.
He said there was "bodies lying everywhere".
Dear Lord.
Yes, if that is true this an attack.
A loud dull thump - big enough to get my attention.
I am glad your son is OK. What a worry!
Dammit, cable news over here is only showing regular programming.
*DJ London Double Decker Bus Wrecked; Injuries - Sky
I do that too. When Hubby is gone, I fall asleep to the television. This morning, however, I am awake because of his snoring. :^)
I'm going to check CNN and see how bad this is.
`Railway officals have discovered at least one explosive device...
reminder: bbc.co.uk web site has live internet video.
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