The Command Post
Global War on Terror
July 07, 2005
Breaking: London Underground Explosions - Terrorism Suspected [all updates here]

[This is a mirror of the post from Global Recon; all updates will go here from now on. Earliest posts are first, scroll down for updates]

Very spotty coverage coming in right now - police say it was a power surge, but reports of a bus also exploding give question to that...

Original BBC story here

Explosions close London Underground

This blog has a rumor of thirty dead

map12.gifBBC has confirmed the bus explosion as well as casualties and confirmed the presence of an explosive on the underground.

Updates below:

CNN is calling it a coordinated terrorist attack.

Scotland Yard has confirmed explosives....

More coming... It's hard to get on the BBC and Sky news sites right now...I'm getting most of my news from friends in London, CNN tv, the BBC radio feed works sometimes..

All trains into London have been stopped. Roads are closed, etc.

CNN is now reporting six different explosions.

There are still people reporting power surges, but most reports are saying confirmed explosives, and that explosives have been found in trash bins.

CNN ticker says at least three bus bombings..

Kind of confusing...they are talking about power surges right now on CNN, but that doesn't explain a bus being blown in half

Now CNN is saying nine explosions...

Keep scrolling at this blog...constant updates

BBC is reporting another blast

Some working links..

Reuters
AP

FOX is reporting at least 90 casualties

"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 (search), the British news agency.

Photo from Kings Cross here

---

"
The health services are in support to deal with the terrible injuries that there have been," Clarke told reporters outside Downing Street.

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.

Confirmed explosions: A bus at Tavistock Square, and two at Aldgate East and Edgware Road Tube station

Via comments: Swindon Train station (100 miles west of london) and Brighton Station (South Coast) are reported to be experiencing "security Situations", they are being evacuated.

tubemap.jpg Map from BBC

[Thanks to TFark members for lots of this breaking info]

Two deaths confirmed...

Police responding to reports at the Edgware Road, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and Moorgate subway stations....also rumors of controlled explosions forthcoming at Russell Square.

ALL public transport in London closed.

Forbes reports police investigating this as a terrorist incident.

“When they led us to safety, I went past the carriage where I think the explosion was. It was the second one from the front.

“The metal was all blown outwards and there were people inside being helped by paramedics.

“One guy was being tended outside on the track. His clothes were torn off and he seemed pretty badly burned.

Union: Explosive device on tube

The Guardian is live blogging:

1110 PA is reporting fears of "many" dead after a series of what are now, patently, terrorist bomb blasts around the city. Eyewitness reports talk of terrible injuries, and "many fatalities".

Blair will be making a statement soon

BBC: that the mobile phone networks have been shut down in London to prevent remote detonations (thanks again for the updates, Rich)

More pictures here

First person accounts at BBC

There's already talk of al Qaida, though it's all speculation right now which, of course, they are asking people not to do - but several news sites are quoting "sources" as saying this is the work of AQ. We're waiting for confirmation of terrorism before moving this story to the GWoT page.

image from Newsday

BBC reporting that the army is moving into the area

More photos at flickr - they are off the tv, but are better than what I'm getting here in the states

BBC text only coverage, if you are having trouble accessing that site.

CNN has a timeline of today's events

I hear that BBC is reporting al Qaeda is responsible for the attacks but I can't get on to the site right now...

Normblog has updates

Londonblogger has pictures (via Jeff Jarvis, who has lots of links)

AP: Police find indications of explosives at scene of one of a series of blasts in London, London's police chief says.


London hospitals on full alert

Reports of many people still trapped underground.

Photos here

On Fox: JERUSALEM — Senior Israeli official says Scotland Yard (search) told Israel minutes before explosions it had received warnings of possible terror attacks.

Blair speaking - he will be leaving G8.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR SAYS IT'S "REASONABLY CLEAR" THAT BLASTS WERE TERROR ATTACKS.

Blair's stament:
At the present time we are still trying to establish what exactly happened...it's recently clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London. There are obvioujsly casualties. People who have died and people who are seriously injured...It's my intention to leave the G8 within the next couple of hours and get a report, face to face...And then to return later this evening.

It is the will of all the leaders of the G8 that the meeting should continue in my absence. That we shouldcontinue to discuss the issues we were to discuss...Each of the countries around that table have some experience of the effects of terrorism. All of the leaders...share our complete resolution.

It's partciularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa..

It's also recently clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G8. There will be time to talk later about this. it's important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world. Whatever they do it is our determination that they never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world.

See above thread for new updates, this one was getting too long.

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Please note, if you are trying to contact me with links, updates, etc., please do not use the TCP address; you can reach me at michele.catalanoATgmailDOTcom. Thanks.
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Technorati tags:
London, explosions, London tube

Posted by Michele at July 7, 2005 07:08 AM | TrackBack
Comments

The bus explosion may have been a "Suicide Bomber" BBC just reported.

A first if it is.

Posted by: bascule [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 7, 2005 07:31 AM

20 dead as explosions rock London

http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/content/camden/hamhigh/news/story.aspx?brand=NorthLondon24&category=Newshamhigh&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshamhigh&itemid=WeED07%20Jul%202005%2012%3A06%3A34%3A727

Sorry, can't do proper links.

Posted by: bascule [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 7, 2005 07:42 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4659331.stm

Posted by: lord Downey [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 7, 2005 07:49 AM

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