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July 21, 2005
Four Explosions Confirmed On Tubes and A Bus

MSNBC Reports London's police chief Ian Blair told reporters there were four explosions or attempted explosions. The explosions were reported at three subway stations and a bus:

Police announced they were sending emergency teams to the Warren Street, Shepherds Bush and Oval stations after reports at lunch time of unspecified incidents. One witness told Sky TV that another subway passenger told him a backpack exploded at the Warren Street station and there were reports of smoke.

Sky TV, quoting a police source, said the reported explosions were detonators rather than bombs themselves. However, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair later referred to the explosions as bombs smaller than those used on July 7.

Prime Minister Tony Blair canceled his afternoon appointments as the developments unfolded.
The BBC is now reporting that Police chief Sir Ian Blair appealed to Londoners to stay where they were and said the transport system was effectively being shut down:

One person was injured at Warren Street. There were reports the injured person may have been holding a rucksack containing the detonator.

[. . .]

Police said armed officers had been deployed to University College Hospital after an incident.

The whole of the Northern Line has been suspended, along with the Victoria Line and the Hammersmith and City line.

[. . .]

A number of other stations were closed including Westminster tube station, Waterloo tube station and King's Cross Thameslink. There were also reports that St Paul's tube and Oxford Circus tube station were closed.

Tony Blair cancelled events in the afternoon and will be attending a meeting of the Cobra committee along with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Posted by Dan Spencer at July 21, 2005 10:12 AM | TrackBack
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