Post by Halo on Jul 7, 2005 6:42:16 GMT -5
LONDON, July 7 - A series of explosions rocked the transportation system in central London Thursday morning, hitting at least half a dozen subway stations, trapping people in trains and blowing apart several double-decker buses.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" that they were acts of terrorism timed to coincide with the meeting of the G-8 industrial nations in Scotland.
The blasts came nearly simultaneously at the beginning of morning rush hour and caused an undetermined number of injuries. Initial preliminary reports from authorities said at least 90 people were injured with two dead.
Authorities deployed some troops, bomb squads with dogs and rescue crews across central London.
The police commissioner urged Londoners to "stay where you are" for the time being, saying that authorities were prepared for such situations. He asked for "calm" and pleaded with the media not to speculate.
Emergency vehicles raced through the narrow streets of the city. Some people were seen walking near subway stations covered with blood.
Others were shown on television under blankets.
Witnesses speaking on TV described scenes of flashes of fire, followed by screaming and fear, with passengers on subway cars acting unaided to escape, opening emergency doors and walking through the dark to platforms and up long flights of stairs.
A TV image showed a double-decker bus with its roof ripped off.
Ian Blair, London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner, appearing on the BBC two hours later, said "all transport is disabled."
He said there were at least six explosions and "many casualties."
He named six stations on the London Underground as sites of explosions. They included Edgeware, Kings Cross, Russell Square, Mooregate and Aldgate. All are major hubs of London's tube system, as it is called.
The swath of the blasts ranges from just northwest of Hyde Park in West London through the area near the British Museum called Russell Square and into the financial district, known as "The City."
The police also confirmed that there were explosions on buses, with "multiple casualties." The number of buses hit was uncertain.
Prime Minister Blair vowed that the G-8 would continue its meetings and reach the conclusions it was going to reach. He said all the "leaders shared our complete resolution" to fight terrorism.
The cellphone system in London appeared to have collapsed from overload. The landline phone system was also crippled in some areas.
The media initially speculated that there had been a power surge of some kind though that was unconfirmed and did not seem to account for reported incidents on buses. The blasts came as Prime Minister Tony Blair was hosting the G-8 summit in Scotland.
Blair calls London attacks 'barbaric'
Prime Minister to return to capital from G-8 summit
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said deadly explosions in London were the work of terrorists “designed and aimed to coincide” with a summit of world leaders.
Blair said he was leaving the summit for the day to return to London, while the other leaders continued the meeting.
“Each of the countries around that table has some experience of the effects of terrorism and all the leaders, as they will indicate a little bit later, share our resolution to defeat this terrorism,” a shaken Blair said in a brief statement to reporters.
“It’s particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa, the long-term problems of climate change and the environment.”
This year’s summit of the G-8 countries — the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia — was being held at an exclusive 850-acre golf resort under the kind of heavy security that has been the norm at these gatherings since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
At least six blasts rocked the London subway and tore open at least one packed double-decker bus in nearly simultaneous explosions during Thursday’s morning rush hour. At least two people were killed and officials shut down the entire underground transport network.
“Just as it is reasonably clear that this is a terrorist attack or a series of terrorist attacks, it’s also reasonably clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G-8,” Blair said.
Bush was briefed
There was no immediate word on who was responsible.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had been briefed, but offered no other details. Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said that Bush’s presence had agents monitoring the situation in London, but that the investigation was being left to British authorities.
Liz Kirkham, spokeswoman for Tayside Police Force, which covers the Gleneagles area, said no additional security precautions were being taken at the summit as a result of the blasts, as substantial measures had already been put in place.
“Whatever they do it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and other civilized nations throughout the world,” Blair said.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" that they were acts of terrorism timed to coincide with the meeting of the G-8 industrial nations in Scotland.
The blasts came nearly simultaneously at the beginning of morning rush hour and caused an undetermined number of injuries. Initial preliminary reports from authorities said at least 90 people were injured with two dead.
Authorities deployed some troops, bomb squads with dogs and rescue crews across central London.
The police commissioner urged Londoners to "stay where you are" for the time being, saying that authorities were prepared for such situations. He asked for "calm" and pleaded with the media not to speculate.
Emergency vehicles raced through the narrow streets of the city. Some people were seen walking near subway stations covered with blood.
Others were shown on television under blankets.
Witnesses speaking on TV described scenes of flashes of fire, followed by screaming and fear, with passengers on subway cars acting unaided to escape, opening emergency doors and walking through the dark to platforms and up long flights of stairs.
A TV image showed a double-decker bus with its roof ripped off.
Ian Blair, London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner, appearing on the BBC two hours later, said "all transport is disabled."
He said there were at least six explosions and "many casualties."
He named six stations on the London Underground as sites of explosions. They included Edgeware, Kings Cross, Russell Square, Mooregate and Aldgate. All are major hubs of London's tube system, as it is called.
The swath of the blasts ranges from just northwest of Hyde Park in West London through the area near the British Museum called Russell Square and into the financial district, known as "The City."
The police also confirmed that there were explosions on buses, with "multiple casualties." The number of buses hit was uncertain.
Prime Minister Blair vowed that the G-8 would continue its meetings and reach the conclusions it was going to reach. He said all the "leaders shared our complete resolution" to fight terrorism.
The cellphone system in London appeared to have collapsed from overload. The landline phone system was also crippled in some areas.
The media initially speculated that there had been a power surge of some kind though that was unconfirmed and did not seem to account for reported incidents on buses. The blasts came as Prime Minister Tony Blair was hosting the G-8 summit in Scotland.
Blair calls London attacks 'barbaric'
Prime Minister to return to capital from G-8 summit
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said deadly explosions in London were the work of terrorists “designed and aimed to coincide” with a summit of world leaders.
Blair said he was leaving the summit for the day to return to London, while the other leaders continued the meeting.
“Each of the countries around that table has some experience of the effects of terrorism and all the leaders, as they will indicate a little bit later, share our resolution to defeat this terrorism,” a shaken Blair said in a brief statement to reporters.
“It’s particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa, the long-term problems of climate change and the environment.”
This year’s summit of the G-8 countries — the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia — was being held at an exclusive 850-acre golf resort under the kind of heavy security that has been the norm at these gatherings since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
At least six blasts rocked the London subway and tore open at least one packed double-decker bus in nearly simultaneous explosions during Thursday’s morning rush hour. At least two people were killed and officials shut down the entire underground transport network.
“Just as it is reasonably clear that this is a terrorist attack or a series of terrorist attacks, it’s also reasonably clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G-8,” Blair said.
Bush was briefed
There was no immediate word on who was responsible.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had been briefed, but offered no other details. Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said that Bush’s presence had agents monitoring the situation in London, but that the investigation was being left to British authorities.
Liz Kirkham, spokeswoman for Tayside Police Force, which covers the Gleneagles area, said no additional security precautions were being taken at the summit as a result of the blasts, as substantial measures had already been put in place.
“Whatever they do it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and other civilized nations throughout the world,” Blair said.
amazes me still today after 9/11 how these people will take their own lives and other innocent people with them! For What??! 
