London rocked by terror attacks

[Zaki]

BBC News

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4659093.stm]Link

Several injured in London blasts


Several people have been injured after explosions on the Underground network and a double-decker bus in London.
A police spokesman said there were "quite a large number of casualties" at Aldgate Tube Station.

And Scotland Yard confirmed one of several reports of explosions on buses in the city - in Tavistock Place - but said the cause was not yet known.

One caller to BBC Five said his friend had seen "the bus ripped open like a can of sardines and bodies everywhere".

Number 10 said it was "still unsure" whether the explosions were a terrorist attack and although casualties were reported, no further details were yet available.

Ministers are meeting to clarify the situation and the government will make a statement later, Leader of the House Geoff Hoon told the Commons.

PA also quoted union officials as saying sources had told them there had been at least one explosive device on the Underground.

British Transport Police said incidents took place at Aldgate, Edgware Road, King's Cross, Old Street and Russell Square stations.

Scotland Yard confirmed they were assisting with a "major incident" and said there were casualties.

Hospitals have said they are no longer accepting non-emergency cases, BBC Five Live reported.

The National Grid, which supplies power to the Underground, said there had been no problems with its system which could have contributed to the incidents.

'Screaming and crying'

Jacqui Head, from BBC News, who had just left King's Cross station on a Piccadilly Line train as an explosion happened, said: "Everything was normal. Suddenly there was a massive bang, the train jolted.

"There was immediately smoke everywhere and it was hot and everybody panicked. People started screaming and crying."

The train was kept in the tunnel for 20 minutes and no announcement was made to explain the delay to passengers, she added.

Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, near Kings Cross, told Five Live: "My only thought in the midst of all this confusion is that after the celebration of yesterday (for the Olympic 2012 London success) for people to be evil enough - if it is the intentional causing of death and injury - and think that they can justify this in any circumstances is completely unacceptable."

London Fire Brigade said four crews were at Liverpool Street and more were on their way.

Another 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 and evacuate 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."


(I heard this news about 1 hour ago...... But didn't find any thread about this)

[Zaki]

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Geo TV</span>

http://www.geo.tv/news_images/world/07-Jul-05-c6731add-1bf1-497d-993a-32927fdc6372london-blasts1.a.jpg

[Zaki]

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">CNN</span>

CNN

Multiple explosions rock London

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

Some media reports said there were fatalities.

The explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G8 summit was getting underway 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 Secreatary Charles Clarke, Britain's top law enforcement officer. He said there were "terrible injuries."

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.

A second bus was reported to have been damaged in Tavistock Square.

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.

She said the bus was travelling from Euston to Russell Square and had been "packed" with people turned away from Tube stops.

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.

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/WORLD/europe/07/07/london.tube/story.injured1.ap.jpg

Injured passengers are led away from Edgware Road Tube Station.

[Zaki]

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Yahoo News</span>

Blasts Destroy Bus, Disrupt London Subway

LONDON - Several blasts went off on the London subway and on at least one double-decker bus during the morning rush hour Thursday, police said, injuring riders and prompting officials to shut down the entire underground transport network.

British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said there had been "terrible injuries."

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.

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.

Sky News showed a picture of a mangled red bus; police said they suspected a bomb caused the explosion.

Police confirmed an explosion destroyed a double-decker bus at Russell Square in central London, and Dow Jones Newswires reported police reporting explosions on at least 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.

There was no immediate official comment from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was hosting the world's most powerful leaders at Gleneagles, Scotland. 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.

[Zaki]

Sorry Posted in wrong Category.......Can u plz move this topic to World's Current Affairs

THANKS

::pak f2::

[MAJID-A]

This is madness craeted by mad people, how is killing and terrifying innocent poepl going to achive anything. Hopefully the culprits will be caught and punsihed.

[waqas_011]

very sad what happend man!!

I feel sorry for the people!!! :style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/weep.gif: :style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/waslam.gif:

[ElectricdreamS_old]

salamzzz, this is really shocking, really bad for british muslims, may ALLAH bring them all to justice ameen!

[Rizkhanae]

::pak f2::
This is a shocking news and was very grieved to know about the suffering of people. May holy Christ safeguard the British people and places.
Enquries are going on, so far , it looks technical problem as well as terrorist activities.
Whoever is responsible, we condemn it seriously and wish all endeavour should take place to unveil the cause and brought the culprits to justice.

[BaDaR]

Two people have been killed and scores have been injured after three blasts on the Underground network and another on a double-decker bus in London.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" there had been a series of terrorist attacks.

He said it was "particularly barbaric" that it was timed to coincide with the G8 summit. He is returning to London.

An Islamist website has posted a statement - purportedly from al-Qaeda - claiming it was behind the attacks.

London's police chief Sir Ian Blair said there had been "many casualties" but it was too early to put a figure to those killed or injured.

More than 100 casualties and one of the dead were taken to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

And St Mary's Hospital said it was dealing with 26 injured people, including four with critical injuries and eight in a serious condition.


It's particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty and Africa
Tony Blair

Blair statement in full

Sir Ian urged people to stay where they were and not to call emergency services unless it was a life-threatening situation.

He reassured the public that an emergency plan was in place and the situation was "steadily coming under control".

Scotland Yard said explosions have been reported at Edgware Road, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and Moorgate.

All London Underground services have been suspended indefinitely and bus services in central London (Zone One) have been halted.

Early reports had suggested a power surge could be to blame for explosions on the Underground but this was later discounted.

Describing the bus blast in Tavistock Square, eyewitness Belinda Seabrook said she saw an explosion rip through the bus.

"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.

She said the bus was travelling from Euston to Russell Square and had been "packed" with people turned away from Tube stops.

"It was a massive explosion and there were papers and half a bus flying through the air, I think it was the number 205," she said.

"There must be a lot of people dead as all the buses were packed, they had been turning people away from the Tube stops."

One caller to BBC Five said his friend had seen "the bus ripped open like a can of sardines and bodies everywhere".


There was immediately smoke everywhere and it was hot and everybody panicked. People started screaming and crying
Jacqui Head
BBC News

Bus 'ripped apart' in explosion
Have you been affected?
Terror of stranded passengers

Loyita Worley, who works for a City law firm, said she was on the underground train when an explosion took place in the next carriage, while it was in a tunnel.

The 49-year-old said: "All the lights went out and the train came to an immediate halt. There was smoke everywhere and everyone was coughing and choking, but remained calm. We couldn't open the doors."

Once the doors were opened they were taken along to Liverpool Street station.

She said the carriage where an explosion happened was "black on the inside" and she saw people who appeared to have their clothes blown off.

She saw bodies lying inside the carriage.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41277000/gif/_41277335_central_londonblast4_map.gif

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4659093.stm

[waqas_011]

i think there is no evidence to call it terrorist attack???????

DO You? :style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdown.gif: :style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/strongbench.gif:

[Hussain_HP]

thts mad .... shocking

[Hussain_HP]

Badar bhai there is already a thread for this topic i think ::w00t::

[majidrabbani]

An Islamist website has posted a statement - purportedly from al-Qaeda - claiming it was behind the attacks. (BBC News)

We are not really sure that who is behind the blastings so far but if it is
confirmed that some Muslim groups are taking the responsibilty for these
attacks, then I would be ashamed to call them muslims.... or maybe even myself.

Shame on these so called muslims ( actually they r the real infidels).

Is this a good way to present and preach islam? Instead they are ruining it.

Hate these Islamic groups.
sorry...these terrorist groups.

May Allah Almighty give us the courage to be true n sensible Muslims ..Ameen.

[usman85]

this is very unfortunate even...........people behind this will be punished by Allah...killing innocent peole doesnt bring any good

[jwad]

damn man sad to hear tht,one of my frnds was near edgware road where the bomb blast occured

[umairgilani]

it's very immature of the journalist to blame it on an unconfirmed report that its done by an islamic terrorist. the islamic verses used in their statement on the claimed website is all wrong. plus it COULD also be irish republicans since they were responsible for many attacks few years back in london.

[daxpert]

not good @ all .. this will infact create difficulties for the muslim in uk .. and i would all over .. wid bad omage on their face as thats wat happend during 9 /11 we muslims got the tag of terrorists .. and racism and discrimination was in rise .. very sorry tgo hear this

[whyhkk]

This is very sad for the Londoners. The worse thing about this is that now discrimination will increase. I was reading somewhere where some leader in a muslim center was warning every Muslim to beware of anyone suspicious and protect yourself from harm.

[shoaib_khan]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/shoaib_khan/3926.jpg

A group calling itself "The Secret Organization of Al Qaeda in Europe" posted a statement on an internet site, claiming responsibility for the deadly attacks that hit London on Thursday.



But MSNBC TV translator Jacob Keryakes said that the statement in which the group claimed responsibility for the attacks contained an error in one of the Qura’nic verses it cited. That suggests that the claim is phony, he said.



"This is not something Al Qaeda would do," he said.



The group said the attacks were "in response to the massacres carried out by Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan."



The statement threatened similar attacks in Italy and Denmark.



The group, claiming to be Al Qaeda wing in Europe claimed responsibility for the last major attacks in Europe, including the string of bombs that shook commuter trains in Madrid, Spain in March 2004, killing 191 people.



Two days after that attack, a video was released with a statement purported to be from the group's spokesman, calling himself "Abu Dujan.



"We warned the British government and the British people repeatedly. We have carried out our promise and carried out a military attack in Britain."



"We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all crusader governments that they will receive the same punishment if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan," the statement added.



The statement was signed "The Secret Organization of Al Qaeda in Europe."



Almost three hours after six blasts rocked London Thursday morning, British Prime Minister Tony Blair blamed “terrorist groups” for the attacks.



Meanwhile, public transport system was closed in London and subway stations were evacuated after six explosions in the financial district and center of the capital killed at least 40 people and wounded more than 300.



An unidentified firefighter said that five explosive devices were found on the subway network.



The blasts struck financial district Underground stations including Liverpool Street, Moorgate and Aldgate East, police said. An explosion was also reported at Kings Cross and Edgware Road stations in central London, and a bus exploded near Russell Square, the firefighter said.



The blasts coincided with the G-8 summit where leaders plan to discuss ways to fight poverty in Africa and curb climate change.



German security analyst Rolf Tophoven started to draw a link between London blasts and those of Madrid that took place in March 11, 2004



"There are lots of parallels with the Madrid blast...We have to assume it's an attack," he claimed.



Similar claims were made by Budapest-based security analyst Sebestyen Gorka. "The first thing that's very obvious is the synchronized nature of the attacks, and that's pretty classic for al Qaeda or al Qaeda-related organizations," he said.



"If we're talking about several attacks on one day, then there's a good likelihood we're talking about a known quantity here...The similarities to Madrid are clear."

Agencies

[mmjanab]

thnx for sharing