London Explosion

7 July, 2005 7:19 PM

Update: Thursday 21 July: There are reports coming through that there has been further explosions and/or suspicious packages found at 3 underground stations and on one bus - eerily similar to what happened two weeks ago. Reports are appearing online in some of the following places:

- London Subways Evacuated
- Tube Explosion Reported
- Tube Cleared After Minor Blasts
- Incident on London Bus

Reports are coming out that detonators have gone off of at least 3 bombs but the bombs themselves that they were attached to apparently did not explode.

Original Post from 7 July: Watching the news here in Melbourne at the moment where they've gone live to London to cover the London Underground and Bus Explosions.

We have family who use some of those tube stations so are of course interested in what's going on there.

I'm quite amazed by the explosion of bloggers covering the story.

Technorati's biggest searched for term is London with plenty of other similar terms. Looks like people are turning to the internet for news (update - technorati now seems to be down - perhaps as a result of the increased searches?).

Hoping and praying it isn't as bad as some of the 'experts' who are commentating on the explosion are saying it could be.

Update - this post was getting quite long and unruly so I've edited it into two sections - firstly News Articles on the London Explosions and secondly Blogs following the story. I also will update our family news as it comes to hand bellow.

News Articles and Reports on the London Bombing in order found

The Age (subscription required) has a report is up. They write:

'A number of people were killed in a series of explosions on London's transport system at rush hour on Thursday morning, 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.'

India's NewIndPress wrties:

'A series of explosions rocked London's transport system at rush hour on Thursday morning, causing numerous casualties and leaving millions of passengers in shock, police said.

The causes of the incidents -- which occurred one 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 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 with blood and soot. Passengers were evacuated from stations across the capital, many in shock and with their clothes ripped to shreds, witnesses said.'

BBC reports:

'Large numbers of casualties have been reported after at least six explosions on the Underground network and a double-decker bus in London. 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.

UK Home Secretary Charles Clarke said several explosions in central London had caused "terrible injuries".

All Tube services and bus services in central London have been suspended.'

CNN is reporting soldiers on the streets and six casualties (unconfirmed).

- BBC have a series of Eyewitness Reports. Here's one:

'"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."

She was in a carriage next to one where an explosion happened.

She said the adjacent carriage was "black on the inside". She saw people who appeared to have their clothes blown off, and bodies lying inside the carriage. '

- CNN has a timeline of the events of the London Explosion.

- Sky News reports 90 injured and 2 casualties.

Tony Blair is speaking now and confirms that this is reasonably clear to be terrorist attacks. He will be leaving the G8 meeting in the next few hours to go to London for a report before returning to G8 afterwards. G8 will continue in his absence.

He vows to defeat terrorism - a barbaric act.

He said it's reasonably clear that this is tied to the opening of G8.

- News on the financial markets response to the London explosions can be found at Markets plummet after London blasts .

- Sky News is reporting 90 injured and 2 fatalities. They also report a massive rescue operation at Kings Cross Station.

- Speculation is already beginning about who is behind this terrorist attack - with Reuters reporting it fits the Al-Qaeda pattern.

- pictures of the aftermath of the explosions are pouring into Yahoo News.

- The International Olympic Committee are getting the word out that they don't believe the London Bomb Explosions have nothing to do with London winning the Olympics yesterday. Source. Instead most experts are tying it to the G8 meeting starting today.

- BBC is offering live video coverage of the situation in London.

- Forbes reports that the House of Commons has been suspended until later in the day.

- a European al-Quaida group has claimed responsability for the London bombing according to NY News Day. They write:

A group calling itself "Secret Organization -- al-Qaida in Europe" has posted a claim of responsibility for the series of blasts in London, a German magazine reported Thursday.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that the group posted its message on a Web site popular with Islamic militants, which it did not name. It said the group claimed the explosions were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

- French Govt raises terror alert
- London Hospitals Put on Major Incident Alert after Multiple Blasts-
- 12 dead, scores injured in London blasts (subscription needed)
- European Central Bank holds rates

- Four London Blasts Kill 40, Injure 300
- London mayor: This was mass murder
- London blasts throw G8 summit into crisis
- Interpol offers team to help London
- - The Sun has many reports on the explosions and the reactions from around the UK and the world.
- Putin condemns terror attacks in London
- Blogs Respond to London Blasts

Tony Blair has made (read this time) a second statement in an hour or so - standing in front of the G8 leaders. He says the attack is an attack on all nations.

- stories coming through from Ambulance sources now about the death toll:

23 dead at Kings Cross
9 dead at Edgware
7 dead at Aldgate
2 Dead at Russel Square
Over 1000 injured

- Information on London's tubes, buses, trams and river services.
- Another picture of the evacuation of the tube.
- At least 45 die in London Blasts
- London financial centre rattled but trades on
- Yahoo News has set up a dedicated page to follow this story
- News Now has a similar page.
- Follow the story on Googe News here
- MSN's London Bombing Results
- Queen Elizabethe 'Deeply Shocked'
- Bush offers U.S. condolences to London
- World leaders pledge united front
- Pope Benedict deplores London attacks
- European Markets Dive on London Blasts
- London's congestion charge has been suspended to allow people to travel by cars. Also some public transport will be free when it reopens (and from main line stations) to allow people to clear the city.
- Thames Link Continuing to Run Services
- Washington Raises Terror Threat To Orange For Rail Systems
- UN Security Council to condemn attacks

Blogs Covering the London Bombing

- The Guardian Blog has a good coverage of latest developments in London including pictures - another blog covering this story is Syntagma - A few pictures are starting to appear on Flickr (also here). - Blog Herald is also covering the story from a blogging perspective. - Reaching for Lucidity has a good coverage also - - a picture taken on a camera phone and uploaded to MoblogUK shows the view in one of the trains just after the explosion. See it at Alphies blog (picture is now on BBC's webpage). - There is another picture from a camera phone moblog of Liverpool station just after the evacuation at this moblog. - Softpedia has first hand accounts of the explosions from witnesses. - Anna who has family in the area of the blasts is also blogging about the London bomb explosions. I hope the news is good Anna. - Perfect.co.uk is also blogging about it - as is Europhobia. - Demlog is another blog following the story in London. - Wikipedia is on the case and has a comprehensive page going. - About This Boy has a useful page of links also. - Tim Worstall is covering it also. - Instapundit is too - Big News is also blogging about it. - Monjo Blog has a good series of links, reflections and information. - Yorkshire Ranter

Update - We just got word that our family are safe. V's parents were going to catch a bus into the affected area this morning but for some reason her sister said they shouldn't.

V's brother in law was a work close to one of the explosions and had his windows rattled. Close but safe thank goodness.

- Brother in law just emailed this through:

' I was sitting at desk, talking to work mate on phone (landline – gsm nw congested by this time) (he was two trains behind one that exploded) and on the other phone to my boss who was saying he was ok, but miles away… when BOOM…. It felt weird… I put the phones down..went outside – everything seemed so quiet…then there were sirens…loads of them from multiple directions… and then helicopters… Crazy crazy times my friend.

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