London in chaos after terrorist blasts; 45+ killed

[Darknight]

Blasts rock London, Blair says "terrorist attacks

"07 Jul 2005 11:38:31 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Alistair MacDonald

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Explosions rocked London on Thursday, killing several people and wounding scores in what Prime Minister Tony Blair called an apparent terror attack coinciding with a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Scotland.

Witnesses saw the top ripped off a double-decker bus near Russell Square close to King's Cross train terminal and the twisted wreckage of another in Tavistock Square nearby.

Several underground subway stations also were hit.

"I was on the bus," said a dazed passenger on one of the buses that was hit. "I looked round and the seats behind me were gone."

Blair told reporters he would return from the G8 summit immediately to deal with the emergency.

"It is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London," he told reporters.

London has so far escaped the 2004 Madrid-style bombings blamed on al Qaeda, and the blasts on Thursday left London residents in shock.

Italy's interior minister said all of Europe was on alert.

Britain has been key ally of the United States in its war in Iraq, where al Qaeda is waging a bloody insurgency. The blasts occurred one day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

CONFUSION BLURS NUMBERS

It was unclear in all the confusion how many people were killed and wounded.

Police said two people were killed at Aldgate East underground station in the financial centre of the city, with a further 90 people wounded. Around 100 wounded people were taken to Royal London Hospital, 10 of them in critical condition.

London's police chief Ian Blair said there were indications of explosives at one of the blast sites.

"We are aware that one of the sites certainly does contain indications of explosives," he told Sky Television. "We are concerned that this is a co-ordinated attack."

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.

The city's streets were gridlocked and financial markets plummeted as it became increasingly apparent that the blasts were an attack, and not a power surge on the underground train system as had been reported.

Security experts said the apparent attacks bore all the hallmarks of the al Qaeda network.

"If what we are looking at is a simultaneous bombing, and it does look like that, it would very certainly fit the classic al Qaeda methodology which centres precisely on that, multi-seated hits on transport and infrastructural targets," said Shane Brighton, intelligence expert at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence.

MARKETS PLUNGE

On the currency market, the Swiss franc hit a six-week high against sterling and rose more than 1 percent against the dollar following the explosions.

"The market is showing a textbook reaction, buying safe-haven currencies like the Swiss franc and euro and away from the dollar," said Marios Maratheftis, currency strategist at Standard Chartered.

Oil prices fell three percent and London's FTSE stock exchange had also lost around three percent.

Emergency services rushed to the Aldgate East underground station where police reported one incident at 8:59 a.m. local time (0759 GMT), the spokeswoman said.

"There were people streaming out of Aldgate station covered in blood," said Kate Heywood, 27, on her way to work.

"There are shards of glass there, it is chaos," she added.

Police sealed off large areas around other underground and mainline rail stations. Firemen donned chemical protection suits before rushing into stations.

Half a dozen people with soot-blackened faces and dishevelled clothes sat on the floor at Russell Square underground station or stood in shock as police cordoned off the area and ambulances crews raced in, one witness said.

The Great Eastern Hotel, which was hosting a conference on the Israeli economy, was evacuated. Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled plans to attend the conference.

[wolf5370]

London would surely have lost the Olympics bid if this shit had happaned a day earlier.

Some expert on Sky News said that it was likely BECAUSE of the bid win yesterday and the G8 summit, that it was decided to hit London today.

[baht&sold]

<snip>

Just heard the mobile network is swamped, so hopefully everyone's ok and just can't get thru at the moment.

Condolences all

Edited July 7, 2005 by george

[george]

Admin moderation note:

I have cleaned up a few political posts. There is an open thread in the "General forum" that can host those political discussions and terrorist discussions, at least temporary. Here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=38889

This is not a Thailand related topic, but we feel that we want to bring our members the latest news, especially members living in Thailand without UBC or cable TV.

Thanks!

Edited July 7, 2005 by george

[Darknight]

London mobile networks jammed

from bbc news

Fire crews were rushed to the scene of the blasts

Mobile phone networks in London have been overwhelmed following the blasts in London.

Networks were running at near capacity as those caught up in the chaos called family and friends.

The surge in the number of calls being made meant that many people had trouble getting through first time.

Vodafone said it had reserved some network capacity for the emergency service workers dealing with the disaster.

Domino effect

Scores of people have been hurt after explosions on the Underground network and a double-decker bus in London.

Prime minister Tony Blair, speaking from the G8 summit in Scotland, said it was clear it had been a terrorist attack timed to co-incide with the summit.

We're asking that people only make essential calls to limit the congestion

"Because all our switches are at capacity, we need to ensure police and emergency services can communicate," said a Vodafone spokesperson.

"So we're having to free up a proportion of our network so normal customers won't be able to use a proportion of their local base station."

Orange and O2 said there was "congestion" on their networks making it hard to get through first try.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Mobile, which piggybacks on the T-Mobile network, said: "There are so many people making calls at the moment it is taking a while for people to get through. The volume of calls has really surged."

Many of those caught up in the disaster who found that the mobile networks were down reportedly went into shops to beg the use of a phone.

Terrorism expert Professor Michael Clarke from the International Policy Institute at King's College London, speculated that the problems might be a security measure.

"I've heard rumours that the mobile network is down, possibly shutdown," he said.

"This could be because the MO (modus operandi) in Madrid was by setting off devices with mobile phones."

Essential calls

The problems with the mobile networks has had a knock-on effect on fixed lines phones.

A spokesman for BT said that so many people were turning to fixed line phones once they found that the mobile network was down that it was running a near capacity too.

"Due to the sheer volume of calls, the network is experiencing some congestion problems," he said.

"We're asking that people only make essential calls to limit the congestion," said the spokesman.

[britmaveric]

Cheers Scampy - got through to Boo's mailbox, left a message. Can't get through to anywhere else yet, but will be checking on other mates and reles who might have been in the area.

[Boon Mee]

London would surely have lost the Olympics bid if this shit had happaned a day earlier.

Some expert on Sky News said that it was likely BECAUSE of the bid win yesterday and the G8 summit, that it was decided to hit London today.

Doubt it. This was too well-planned to be the result of the Olympics bid.

[withnail]

anywhere we can get the news live online

condolences to anyone with family affected

[Darknight]

Unknown group claims London attack in Qaeda's name-ANSA

07 Jul 2005 11:54:21 GMT

Source: Reuters

MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - A previously unknown group claimed responsibility in the name of al Qaeda for a series of blasts in London that killed at least two people and wounded 185, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Thursday.

The "Secret Group of al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe" claimed the attack in a Web site posting and warned Italy and Denmark to withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, ANSA said.

The claim could not be verified and did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by al Qaeda.

"Heroic fighters of the Arab nation, it is time for revenge against the crusader and Zionist British government, in response to the massacre carried out by Great Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan," ANSA quoted the message as saying on a site it named as "el qal3ah.com".

"We command the Italian and Danish governments to pull their troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan."

[Boon Mee]

Unknown group claims London attack in Qaeda's name-ANSA

07 Jul 2005 11:54:21 GMT

Source: Reuters

MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - A previously unknown group claimed responsibility in the name of al Qaeda for a series of blasts in London that killed at least two people and wounded 185, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Thursday.

The "Secret Group of al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe" claimed the attack in a Web site posting and warned Italy and Denmark to withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, ANSA said.

The claim could not be verified and did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by al Qaeda.

"Heroic fighters of the Arab nation, it is time for revenge against the crusader and Zionist British government, in response to the massacre carried out by Great Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan," ANSA quoted the message as saying on a site it named as "el qal3ah.com".

"We command the Italian and Danish governments to pull their troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan."

Every screeming Moonbat on the face of the earth will want to claim responsibility...

[Steve2UK]

anywhere we can get the news live online

condolences to anyone with family affected

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

http://www.sky.com/skynews/home

Edited July 7, 2005 by Steve2UK

[Darknight]

No sign attack planned in U.S.-Homeland Security

07 Jul 2005 12:06:27 GMT

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. officials had no indication an attack similar to the blasts that rocked London on Thursday was planned in the United States and there was no immediate plan to raise the terrorism threat level, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said.

But Washington and New York urged commuters to be extra vigilant after the series of explosions in London killed several people. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was an apparent terrorist attack coinciding with a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Scotland.

"The Department of Homeland Security does not have any intelligence indicating this type of attack is planned in the United States," spokeswoman Katy Montgomery said in stressing that the department would "constantly evaluate both the threat information as well as our protective measures."

She said officials at the Department of Homeland Security had spoken with others at the state and local level as well as public and private sector officials representing major transportation systems.

She declined to say what additional security measures had been taken where.

"At this time, there are no immediate plans to raise the nation's threat level," Montgomery added.

In Washington, the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said it was beefing up police presence because of the London attacks.

"In response to events in London ... we ask customers to please be alert and report any unusual activity or suspicious packages," the authority said on its Web site.

Bomb-sniffing dogs were on Metro platforms and police cars were seen outside stations. Police were also searching buses.

Authorities in New York, where twin hijacked plane attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, killed almost 3,000 people, said there had been no additional security ordered or any unusual incidents reported.

"We're reminding people not to leave unattended packages. ... We're also checking our trains before they leave the yards, before they leave the terminals, as we always do," said Paul Fleuranges, spokesman for New York City Transit.

[Khun Bob]

Capital radio now dedicated to this :

mms://ms1.capitalinteractive.co.uk/fm_high

also :

www.radiomaps.co.uk

[Darknight]

Twelve killed in London blasts, scores wounded

07 Jul 2005 12:18:14 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Adds 10 killed at King's Cross, 80 wounded at St Mary's Hospital)

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - A series of blasts that rocked London on Thursday killed at least 12 people and wounded scores, police and hospital officials and witnesses said.

CNN television said at least 10 people were killed in an explosion at King's Cross station. It said one of its producers at the scene had been told of "double-digit fatalities".

Police said two people were killed in an explosion at the Aldgate East underground station. A doctor at the station said at least 90 people were wounded in the blast.

The Royal London Hospital in the east of the capital said 95 people were being treated, seven of them in a critical condition and 10 serious. It was not clear how many of them had been brought in from Aldgate.

St. Mary's Hospital in west London said 80 wounded had been brought in, four of them critical and nine serious. Officials said the casualties were believed to have come from a blast at Edgware Road underground station in East London.

Other hospitals said they had received wounded but declined to give numbers.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said there had been at least seven attacks.

[huski]

[stumonster]

Haven't got a clue how I'm getting home tonight 

London Underground - ALL suspended until further notice (not likely to be today) It is advised NOT to travel into London Marylebone, Cannon Street, Liverpool Street, Kings Cross, St Pancras, Euston, Victoria, Paddington, and Charing Cross are all closed until further notice.

Thameslink Rail services are not running AT ALL. Brighton and East Croydon stations are closed due to a security alert. According to National Rail Enquiries, Southern trains services are running "normal" services OUT OF LONDON only.

Gatwick Express is still running but terminating at Clapham Junction. Heathrow Express has been terminated until further notice.

It seems trains are running as far as Clapham Junction. Stations are being periodically closed and re-opened after they have been security checked so do call National Rail enquiries to check your journey first. Trains are of course going to be delayed by varying amounts as a result.

Checking your journey by calling national rail enquiries is of course recommended - 08457 484950 option 2 Websites - http://www.networkrail.co.uk/ [networkrail.co.uk] and particularly http://nrekb.com/london_underground.html [nrekb.com]

[Darknight]

my condolences

[Tornado]

Unknown group claims London attack in Qaeda's name-ANSA

07 Jul 2005 11:54:21 GMT

Source: Reuters

MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - A previously unknown group claimed responsibility in the name of al Qaeda for a series of blasts in London that killed at least two people and wounded 185, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Thursday.

The "Secret Group of al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe" claimed the attack in a Web site posting and warned Italy and Denmark to withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, ANSA said.

The claim could not be verified and did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by al Qaeda.

"Heroic fighters of the Arab nation, it is time for revenge against the crusader and Zionist British government, in response to the massacre carried out by Great Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan," ANSA quoted the message as saying on a site it named as "el qal3ah.com".

"We command the Italian and Danish governments to pull their troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Every screeming Moonbat on the face of the earth will want to claim responsibility...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Will we ever know?

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Nothing but the sound of passing sirens outside.

[george]

London blast total now confirmed at four

LONDON: -- The blasts which rocked London this morning numbered four, it has now been confirmed.

Two people were killed and scores were injured by three explosions on the Underground network and another on a double decker bus.

Earlier it was thought that up to six explosions had taken place.

British premier Tony Blair said it was "reasonably clear" that there had been a series of terrorist attacks.

He is rushing back to London from the Gleneagles summit in Scotland.

He said it was "particularly barbaric" to plant such bombs when G8 leaders were discussing poverty.

An Islamist website has posted a statement an al-Qaeda-linked group claiming responsibility for the blasts.

--Bizworld.com 2005-07-07

[bartender100]

Sky News comfirmed 40 dead,9 at Edgeware Rd

[george]

LONDON BOMBS G8 leaders condemn attacks and pledge to continue summit UPDATE

(updates with more quotes)

GLENEAGLES, Scotland: -- Leaders of the G8 group of nations condemned today's terrorist attacks in London, stating that the perpetrators would not be allowed to impose their 'extremism' and 'fanaticism' on 'civilised societies'.

A joint statement was delivered by UK prime minister Tony Blair and was also underwritten by non-G8 members China, Mexico, India, South Africa, Brazil, the UN and EU.

'We condemn utterly the barbaric attacks and send our profound condolences to the victims and their families,' Blair said.

'Those responsible have no respect for human life. We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism. It is not an attack on one nation, but on all nations and on civilised people everywhere.

'We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values,' Blair said, adding that world leaders will continue their deliberations 'in the interests of a better world' at the summit on tackling poverty in Africa and climate change.

'Here at this summit, the world's leaders are striving to combat world poverty and save and improve human life. The perpetrators of today's attacks are intent on destroying human life.

Blair is to return to London briefly today for an update on the situation and will return to Gleneagles tonight. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will chair meetings in Blair's absence.

--AFX 2005-07-07

[george]

Sky News comfirmed 40 dead,9 at Edgeware Rd

Confusing indeed. CNN just reported that there will be a press conference within 2 hours, and they will not give any more numbers regarding causalties and fatalities until then. The London authorithies need time to coordinate the reporting, according to CNN.

[bartender100]

Fox are using Sky News from UK,now they saying 45 dead 1000 injured,people still trapped on the under ground

[Darknight]

sky news report on it's way soon.

[Darknight]

Bush orders U.S. vigilance after London blasts

07 Jul 2005 13:34:01 GMT

Source: Reuters

GLENEAGLES, Scotland, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush directed U.S. security authorities on Thursday to be extra vigilant and take precautions in response to a series of apparently coordinated attacks in London.

Bush offered a statement of U.S. solidarity with Britain while attending a Group of Eight summit that was temporarily suspended as world leaders were briefed on the situation in London.

"The war on terror goes on," Bush told reporters. "I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve. And that is, we will not yield to these people, will not yield to the terrorists."

He gave no hint as to who he thought might be responsible but he used words similar to his frequent denunciations of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"We will find them. We will bring them to justice. And at the same time we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate," Bush said.

The White House said Bush had no plans to leave the summit early. He is scheduled to depart on Friday afternoon.

From the Gleneagles hotel where the summit is being held, Bush held a secure videoconference call with U.S. homeland security and national security officials in Washington.

"I have been in contact with the Homeland Security folks. I instructed them to be in touch with local and state officials about the facts of what took place ... in London and be extra vigilant," Bush said.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush "wanted to make sure that all appropriate agencies were responding. He wanted to make sure that appropriate agencies were acting and taking any necessary precautions."

The overall U.S. threat level has not been raised since the Dec. 2003/Jan. 2004 holiday period. The White House said any change in status would come from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington.

Bush called the London attacks a stark contrast from the work the G8 leaders were undertaking aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa and seeking an agreement on global climate change.

"The contrast couldn't be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill, those who've got such evil in their heart that they will take the lives of innocent folks," Bush said.

News of the explosions came shortly after Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, close allies on the Iraq war, began their day with a meeting.

McClellan said White House chief of staff Andy Card and national security adviser Stephen Hadley briefed Bush on the events and were keeping him updated.

In addition, Card called White House homeland security adviser Fran Townsend in Washington, as well as national intelligence director John Negroponte.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Any comment yet over there from Thaksin?

[Darknight]

Some 45 killed, 1,000 wounded in London - Sky TV

07 Jul 2005 13:36:05 GMT

Source: Reuters

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - At least 45 people were killed and 1,000 wounded in four blasts that ripped through London's transport network at rush hour on Thursday, Sky TV said.

Security sources told Reuters people had been killed at all four locations where explosions were heard and they suspected it was a coordinated attack indicating international terrorists were responsible.

[Scott]

The deepest sympathies to all who were killed and injured and their families and friends. This is truly a very sad situation.

I have no doubt that the British will handle this painful time with the strength and courage they are noted for.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Surreal calm outside, to my surprise the busses are running and packed full.

There are loads of police outside Clapham Junction mainline train station and there's big ques at bus stops and a crazy old black guy standing in the road talking gibberish and shouting.

Many people talking on mobiles and a private jet flew over half an hour ago which was probably Tony Blair flying in.