7 July 2005 London bombings: Difference between revisions
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*18:13: Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Paddick confirms 37 fatalities: two in the bus explosion at Upper Woburn Place/Tavistock Square, seven at Liverpool Street/Aldgate East, seven at Edgware Road, and twenty-one in the Kings Cross/Russell Square blast, as well as around seven hundred injuries, with roughly three hundred of those being transported by ambulance to London hospitals. |
*18:13: Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Paddick confirms 37 fatalities: two in the bus explosion at Upper Woburn Place/Tavistock Square, seven at Liverpool Street/Aldgate East, seven at Edgware Road, and twenty-one in the Kings Cross/Russell Square blast, as well as around seven hundred injuries, with roughly three hundred of those being transported by ambulance to London hospitals. |
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*21:40: The Metropolitan Police announce that a person injured in one of the blasts has since died in hospital care, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to 38. |
*21:40: The Metropolitan Police announce that a person injured in one of the blasts has since died in hospital care, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to 38. |
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*22:00: Emergency Services press conference announce that two more people died while in hospital care, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to 40. |
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==Infrastructure and transport status== |
==Infrastructure and transport status== |
Revision as of 22:42, 7 July 2005
This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
- Photos and other images are on the images page.
- All times are in British Summer Time (BST), which is 1 hour ahead of UTC (GMT).
A series of four bomb explosions struck London's transport system beginning at 8:51 during the morning rush hour on Thursday, 7 July 2005. Three Underground trains were hit within half an hour, and a bus a half an hour after that. At least 38 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the attack, with the number of injured reported as high as 700. This number is expected to rise as authorities survey the impact of the blasts. The incidents led to the complete shut-down of the London Underground network and many roads near the affected stations were closed, severely affecting road traffic. Mainline services into many London stations terminated outside the city for most of the day, though all but King's Cross had fully re-opened by 17:30. The city's bus network was shut down in the central zone (Zone 1) until approximately 16:00.
Considered as a single event, this is the deadliest terrorist attack to take place within the United Kingdom since the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie (which killed 270 people) and the worst bombing of London since the Second World War.
Incidents
Home Secretary Charles Clarke told the House of Commons that four blasts had been confirmed: three explosions took place on the London Underground in central London and one on a London Buses Dennis Trident AXL400 double-decker bus, in London's rush hour.
The three on Tube trains were on the Hammersmith and City Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate East at 08:51, on the Piccadilly Line between King's Cross St. Pancras and Russell Square at 08:56 and on the Circle Line at Edgware Road at 09:17. An explosion occurred on a double-decker bus at 09:47 (the No. 30, Hackney to Marble Arch, operated by Stagecoach Group for Transport for London which was following a planned diversion from its normal route) in Tavistock Square outside the British Medical Association (BMA) building on Upper Woburn Place, ripping the roof off the top deck and destroying the back of the bus. The number of explosions is smaller than first thought, since some blasts occurred on trains that were between stations. The wounded emerged from both stations, giving the impression that there were incidents at each.
Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has said that explosions were probably the result of a "major terrorist attack" but did not wish to speculate on the organisation involved. The bombings came while the UK hosted the first full day of the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, and a day after London won the bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Casualties
Senior official sources have confirmed that at least 38 people have been killed. This toll will rise when the number of deaths resulting from the Tavistock Square bus bombing is known. [1] These bombings are the second-most deadly terrorist attacks ever in the United Kingdom, after Lockerbie (the 1998 Omagh bombing killed 29 people, the 1974 Birmingham pub bombing killed 21 and the 1999 London nail bombings killed 3 and injured 160), and the deadliest attack in London itself since the Second World War.
At least 90 injuries have been reported from Aldgate East Station alone. All major London hospitals have been placed on alert, and are currently not accepting non-emergency cases. Ninety-five of those were taken by bus to the Royal London Hospital where they are being treated; seventeen are in critical condition. Many others are being treated at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. Individuals who are wounded and walking are being treated at the scene; an eyewitness reported that they were “operating on injured people on the concourse at Liverpool Street station.” [2] Paramedics were sent down into the tube system to search for more casualties. St. John Ambulance was called out to assist the London Ambulance Service [3], and hospitals had to call in off-duty staff, plus doctors from as far afield as Hampshire and Oxfordshire.
Recent reports state that 300 people (208 at Royal London Hospital alone [4]) are being treated in hospital and 150 of those are in a serious condition. Many are foreign nationals. Police reported the total number of wounded reached as high as 700 people, but not all of these have necessarily received treatment.
Confirmed current deaths (Emergency Services press conference):
Location | Fatalities |
Aldgate East Station | 7 |
King's Cross Station | 21 |
Edgware Road Station | 7 |
Bus in Tavistock Square | 2 |
Various hospitals (after the event) | 3 |
Total | 40 |
Other events
Additional reports indicate that there have been unspecified incidents at Brighton, Luton, and Swindon. These stations have been closed and there has been no official confirmation of the nature of the incidents, if any actually occurred. BBC World reported that the stations had been evacuated due to "security incidents". East Croydon station was closed due to a suspect package, but was later re-opened.
In Brighton there was a controlled explosion of a suspicious briefcase at approximately 12:55 local time in a telephone box outside of Brighton station. The briefcase was later found to be harmless, and the station was re-opened.
There are reports of Victoria Station being cordoned off by police amid reports of a "suspicious package" on a bus near the station. The station has also been re-opened since, according to the BBC.
There have been reports of a controlled explosion at Coventry bus station.
Two controlled explosions have been carried out on a Lothian Buses double-decker on Princes Street in the centre of Edinburgh.
Vodafone reported that its mobile phone network reached capacity at about 10:00 on the day of the incident, and it was forced to initiate emergency procedures to prioritise emergency calls. Other mobile phone networks have also reported failures. The BBC had speculated that the phone system has been closed by the security services to prevent the possibility of mobile phones being used to trigger bombs. BBC later reported that mobile networks were running again.
For most of the day, London's mass transit system was effectively paralysed, significantly because of the complete closure of the underground system and the Zone 1 closure of the bus networks, as well as evacuation of Russell Square.
It was reported on CBS News that a senior Israeli official said that British police told the Israeli Embassy in London minutes before the explosions that they had received warnings of possible terror attacks in the city. [5] An Associated Press report carried on a number of news sites, including The Guardian, attributes the initial report of a warning to an Israeli “Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity,” but adds Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's later denial on Israel Army Radio: “There was no early information about terrorist attacks.” [6] A similar report on the site of right-wing Israeli paper Israel National News / Arutz Sheva attributed the story to “Army Radio quoting unconfirmed reliable sources.” [7]
Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin announced that France had increased its level of terror alert to red, the second-highest level, in response to the events in London. [8] Meanwhile, Berlin transport officials indicated that security alert levels for the public transport system of the German capital had been raised to yellow, the second of three levels. [9]
In the United States, transit authorities in New York City and Washington, D.C. have raised their alert level to orange, the second highest level of five, and brought in police dog units trained in bomb detection. Authorities are also specifically concerned about similar events in Chicago, Boston (that incident turned out to be one subway train rear-ending another), and Miami, and have raised transit security levels in these cities and others such as Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Cause
The first reports suggested that a power surge in the Underground power grid had caused explosions in power circuits. However, this was later ruled out by the National Grid, the power suppliers. Commentators suggested that the explanation had arisen because of bomb damage to power lines along the tracks; the rapid series of power failures caused by the explosions looked similar, from the point of view of a control room operator, to a cascading series of circuit breaker operations that would result from a major power surge. One eyewitness reported I was in the midst of this when it happened. The Metropolitan line was halted, then the Jubilee. The train driver announced a "power surge on the combine", which is probably a prearranged message to prevent panic in an emergency. Trains were then brought into the nearest station and the passengers requested to evacuate. The tube staff were very calm and efficient, and I didn't see any panic. There was definitely a sense that something unusual had happened, and people were mostly silent as we filed out to the sound of recorded evacuation messages. [10]
At approximately 11:10 UTC 7 July 2005, BBC News reported that a website known to be operated by associates of Al Qaeda had been located with a 200 word statement claiming responsibility for the attacks. German magazine Der Spiegel [11] reported that a group named 'Secret Organisation – al‐Qaeda in Europe' had posted a claim of responsibility on the "al-Qala'a" internet forum, which has been a source for genuine claims in the past. The letter also warned other governments involved in Iraq (mentioning specifically Denmark and Italy) to leave Iraq and Afghanistan. A Saudi commentator in London, however, noted that the Arabic of the statement was grammatically poor, and that a Qur'anic quotation was incorrect, which was not typical of Al Qaeda.
Arab sources monitoring terrorist networks have told BBC News that it is highly likely to be an Al Qaeda attack. Unconfirmed reports indicate that an Islamist website has carried a statement by a European group allied to Al-Qaida which claims responsibility for the attacks.
The attacks bear similarities to the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks and suggest an attack in the style of Al-Qaeda, security analysts said. “The first thing that's very obvious is the synchronized nature of the attacks, and that's pretty classic for al Qaeda or al Qaeda-related organizations,” Budapest-based security analyst Sebestyen Gorka told Reuters.
The London Metropolitan Police Chief, Sir Ian Blair, stated that he believed that the explosions were "probably a major terrorist attack". He also indicated that police had found indications of explosives at one of the blast sites [12]. Police investigators so far are unsure whether the blasts involved planted explosives or suicide bombers.
Responsibility
German online news magazine Spiegel Online (website of magazine Der Spiegel) [13] and BBC Monitoring have both reported that a group named 'Secret Organisation – al-Qaeda in Europe' has posted an announcement claiming responsibility on the Al-Qal3ah (The Castle) forums [14], [15]. The announcement claims the attacks are a response due to the British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda involvement is considered likely, as it follows their pattern:
- bombs were detonated essentially simultaneously
- no warnings were given
- the bombs were detonated early in the day to catch the news
- the bombs were detonated at a time and location designed to inflict maximum death and injury to a civilian population
Translated statement
On 7 July, a person using the name "Nur al-Iman" and identified as a "new guest", posted to Al-Qal3ah with a statement issued by "The Secret Organisation Group of Al-Qa'ida of Jihad Organisation in Europe". In the statement, the group claims responsibility for the London "raid". The following is a translated text of the statement:
- In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate, may peace be upon the cheerful one and undaunted fighter, Prophet Muhammad, God's peace be upon him.
- Nation of Islam and Arab nation: Rejoice for it is time to take revenge against the British Zionist crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroic mujahideen [holy warriors] have carried out a blessed raid in London. Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters.
- We have repeatedly warned the British government and people. We have fulfilled our promise and carried out our blessed military raid in Britain after our mujahideen exerted strenuous efforts over a long period of time to ensure the success of the raid.
- We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all the crusader governments that they will be punished in the same way if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. He who warns is excused.
- God says: "You who believe: If ye will aid (the cause of) God, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly." [ Qur'an 47:7]
One translator from US network MSNBC expressed scepticism at the legitimacy of this claim, claiming there is an error in the quoted verse from the Qur'an (although what exactly the mistake is was not reported. The above translation of the verse, as it appears in the statement, does not contain any errors). [16]
Response
British leaders
- British Prime Minister Tony Blair has described the attacks as “barbaric.” “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 upon the world,” he said. The Prime Minister left the G8 summit in Gleneagles [17] despite Downing Street initially suggesting that reports he would return to London were false [18]. He arrived back in London to consult with emergency services. The summit continued in his absence and he returned to Gleneagles in the evening. [19]
- London Mayor Ken Livingstone, speaking from Singapore, where he was promoting the city's Olympic bid, called it a “cowardly attack”:
- This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter. ... In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential. They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail. [20]
World leaders
- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the bombings. [21] Martin has also requested Canadian flags on all federal buildings be lowered to half-staff. [22]
- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has conveyed to the British government the "deep shock and sympathy and concern of the government and people of New Zealand", and has also requested New Zealand flags be flown at half-mast. [23]
- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has stated, "It's important that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our British allies at a time such as this."
- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said: "In these moments, Israel entirely expresses its solidarity with the people of Britain, aching with their pain, and sending condolences to the families of the dead and fast recovery wishes to the wounded."
- United States President George W. Bush has said, "We will not yield to the terrorists, and will find them and bring them to justice." [24]
- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said, "This terrorist action will never be forgiven, but remembered with great indignation. I offer Mr. Blair my full support to his response, and will gladly cooperate in any way possible."
- Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has stated "I want to express the condolences of the Government and the Spanish people to relatives of the victims of this horrible attacks. I absolutely share the sentiments stated by my colleague Tony Blair. Moral strength of democracy is far superior than such vile and cowardly methods of terrorism."
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences over the attacks and has called on all countries to unite in the fight against international terrorism.
- Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende stated: "Continuous intensive attention is required in the war against terrorism. Terrorism is an evil that can hit each European country. Cooperation in the EU and worldwide is crucial to counter this evil."
- Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson stated: "This is an attack on our open society."
- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has stated: "Again we're witnessing scruples' and barbaric attacks against completely innocent people – civilians, women and children... Terrorists use fear and terror as political pressure. We can't - and will not allow that. We shall never give in to terrorists." - Later he sent an official condolence letter to Tony Blair. [25]
- French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called the attack "a tragedy for Great Britain" and "a tragedy for Europe as a whole which had already been hit in Madrid in March 2004." In a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, De Villepin also offered "immediate, full and total collaboration of French services in helping you identify the authors of these crimes."
- Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris, said : "Today, we're all Londoners"
- German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called the attacks "cowardly and perfidious", while Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer declared his "unswerving solidarity" with London.
- The European Parliament held a minute of silence to mourn any victims of the explosions [26].
- G8 leaders prepared a statement, read on behalf of them all by Tony Blair, condemning the attacks as "an attack on civilised peoples everywhere", and saying that the G8 summit would proceed. [27]
- The Polish Sejm lower house observes a moment of silence.
- South African President Thabo Mbeki has condemned the series of explosions on London's transport system: "As South Africa, we join the rest of the international community in condemning any acts of terrorism"
- Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has stated "On behalf of the Norwegian Government, I wish to express my deepest condolences and sympathy. My thoughts are with all those who were injured and the bereaved families, and with the people of the United Kingdom. We are mourning with you in this time of grief." [28]
- Hamas spokesman Moussa Abu Marzouk condemned the bombings, saying "Targeting civilians in their transport means and lives is denounced and rejected."[29]
- Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said, "Lebanon, which has been the victim of violence for years, shares with the British their pain."
- Moroccan spokesman and Communication Minister Nabil Benabdallah said "These heinous attacks underline the need for the international community to. . . unite its efforts to fight these acts and abort their objectives."
- Chilean President Ricardo Lagos stated "Every Chilean repudiates what has happened today at dawn in London"
- Ireland's Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said that "after yesterday's outpouring of great joy, today is a tragic and difficult day for London."
- Pakistani Information Minister Rashid Sheikh said "We offer our heartfelt sympathies to those who suffered due to such acts."
- Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says "Brazil expresses its harshest condemnation of this most recent, deplorable terrorist act", and voiced "solidarity with the suffering of the victims' families."
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao has said that "China is shocked" by this tragedy and "strongly condemns" any terrorist attacks targeted at civilians.
- Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates says, in a statement made from the national Parliament, "The terrorist threat is global and demands for a global response. If any doubt would existed about the priorities of Europe, this dramatic attack obligies all the 25 european union states to stay together in this fight."
- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong condemned the terrorist attacks in London and expressed Singapore's sympathy to the victims of the attacks and their families, and to the British people and government.
- Greek Prime Minister Kostas_Karamanlis stated "On the part of the government and the Greek people, I would like to express my deepest condolences" and added "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims."
- Mexican Presidency spokesman stated "On behalf of the people of Mexico, the president would like to express his solidarity and support to the people and government of the United Kingdom, terrorism and violence against civilian population have no possible justification, President Vicente Fox has already given his condolences to Prime Minister Blair."
Religious leaders
- Pope Benedict XVI has called the attacks "inhuman" and "barbaric acts against humanity."
- The Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network have issued a public statement condemning the attacks, offering their condolences to the British people, and pledging their support in bringing the terrorists to justice. [30]
- The Muslim Council of Britain utterly condemns today's indiscriminate acts of terror in London. [31]
- The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of his horror and grief following the explosions in London this morning. [32]
- General of The Salvation Army John Larsson sent out mobile relief teams and said to continue to pray for the people of London.
- Leading Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim scholar Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah stated, "These crimes are not accepted by any religion. It is a barbarism wholly rejected by Islam."
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attacks, stating "We join Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning these barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused. American Muslims offer their sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured in today's attacks and call for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators."[33]
- The Islamic Circle of North America released a statement saying, "The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is shocked and horrified at the several attacks on the people of London during the rush hour mass transit. We join everyone in condemning such acts of terror and senseless violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones at this tragic moment. We trust that the authorities will determine those responsible for these barbaric acts and bring them to justice quickly." [34]
- Yusuf Islam's reaction, "My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all those who have suffered loss or injury." [35]
Other responses
- The Metropolitan Police Service urges people not to enter London, and to limit their usage of public transport. [36]
- The London Underground system has been suspended however the Network Rail system is still in operation. We would urge anyone who doesn’t need to come into London today not to do so. If you are already in London wherever possible please limit travelling around the capital.
- The London Ambulance Service reports that they will "only be sending ambulances to patients across the capital with life-threatening illnesses or injuries".[37]
- Chief executive of London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Keith Mills, announced from Singapore that further celebrations of the city's success would be postponed. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said that they were still confident that the Olympics would be safe. [38]
- British Member of Parliament George Galloway: "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the Government ignoring such warnings."
- 54 schools were closed in Westminster.
- United States Department of Homeland Security raised alert level for mass transit systems from yellow to orange.
Economic impact
There were limited economic effects. The pound fell 0.89 cents to a 19-month low against the U.S. dollar. Stock markets fell less than some had feared.
The FTSE 100 Index fell by about 200 points in the two hours after the first attack. This was its biggest fall since the start of the Iraq war. However, by the time it closed the market had recovered to just 71.3 points (1.36%) down on the previous day's three-year closing high. Markets in France, Germany, Holland and Spain also closed about 1% down on the day. [39]
US market indexes actually rose slightly during the day, possibly because the dollar index rose sharply against the european currencies.
Timeline
All times are in British Summer Time (BST) which is 1 hour ahead of UTC.
- 08:51: Initial reports of an incident between Liverpool Street and Aldgate East tube stations, either an explosion or a collision between trains. The reports from the two stations were initially thought to relate to two separate incidents.
- 08:56: Explosion on train between Kings' Cross and Russell Square. Eyewitnesses report explosion appeared to come from outside the train.
- 09:17: Explosion on train at Edgware Road station.
- 09:28: Tube operator Metronet says the incident was caused by some sort of power surge.
- 09:33: Reports of an incident at Edgware Road tube station. Reports that passengers on a train hit by an explosion attempted to break windows with umbrellas in order to escape.
- 09:46: British Transport Police announce there had been more explosions at Kings' Cross, Old Street, Moorgate, and Russell Square.
- 09:47: Explosion on number 30 bus traveling between Hackney and Marble Arch at Upper Woburn Place/Tavistock Square.
- 09:49: Whole London Underground system shut down.
- 10:00: National Grid announce there had been no problem with power surges.
- 10:40: First report of fatalities, government source speaks of 20 dead.
- 11:08: Bus services suspended across central London.
- 11:10: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair confirms fears that it is a coordinated terror attack, but appeals for calm, asking people not to travel to London or make unnecessary calls to the emergency services.
- 12:00: Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks out on the incident, calling the attacks a coordinated series of "barbaric" terrorist attacks.
- 17:30: Prime Minister Tony Blair emerges from a meeting in Downing Street and urges the public to not "be terrorised"
- 18:13: Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Paddick confirms 37 fatalities: two in the bus explosion at Upper Woburn Place/Tavistock Square, seven at Liverpool Street/Aldgate East, seven at Edgware Road, and twenty-one in the Kings Cross/Russell Square blast, as well as around seven hundred injuries, with roughly three hundred of those being transported by ambulance to London hospitals.
- 21:40: The Metropolitan Police announce that a person injured in one of the blasts has since died in hospital care, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to 38.
Infrastructure and transport status
Tube
- No service at present – said to return before tomorrow, 8 July, in many areas.
- Some Radio Stations reporting around 17:45 (GMT) that some tube lines are expected to be operational some time "later today".
Bus
- Central London buses (Zone 1) running from approximately 16:00 BST.
- National Express had suspended coach services in and out of London, although these are now operational "on a limited basis for the rest of today." Normal service should be resumed tomorrow. [40]
Rail
- The Docklands Light Railway was operational again from about 16:00, but not stopping at Bank, Stratford or Canning Town.
- Long-distance (GNER) services at King's Cross are not running, though WAGN services are running to Peterborough, where passengers can change for GNER services to the North and Scotland.
- Croydon Tramlink was suspended, and traffic was being directed away from the underpass area. This was re-opened during the afternoon.
- Eurostar's London to Paris service is running
- The Heathrow Express is running
- The Stansted Express is not running as far as Liverpool Street.
- The Gatwick Express is operational again (at 30 minute intervals)
- National train lines into London have a restricted service - details of individual services can be found on the National Rail website http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/london_underground.html
Roads
- The Congestion Charge suspended for the day.
- Edgware Road is accessible to the public again
- Roads near the affected stations are closed off, severely affecting road traffic.
- The city's bus network was shut down in the central zone, but services restarted from approximately 16:00 BST
- Many taxis and private cars are providing lifts out of London.
- RailAir between Reading and Heathrow are still running
River
- The Thames Clippers are providing free travel[41] until 22.00 BST, and beginning again between 06.00 and 07.00 BST on 8 July 2005.
Air
- Flights are running as usual at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports.
- There may be some delays due to difficulty of flight crew getting to airports, especially with the Piccadilly Line suspended and Heathrow Express to Heathrow shut for a period but running again.
- Temporary exclusion zone over London.
Contact instructions
- Casualty Hotline (Metropolitan Police): 0870 156 6344 (UK) +44 870 156 6344 (International)
- Metropolitan Police: 020 7766 6020 (UK) +44 20 7766 6020 (International)
- British Transport Police: 020 8358 0101 (UK) +44 20 8358 0101 (International)
- Those outside the UK should see the list of Foreign Ministry contact details.
Do not call the London emergency services line unless you are reporting "life-threatening" circumstances.
See also
- Islamist terror bombings in France (July – October 1995)
- 9/11 attacks in the United States (11 September 2001)
- Moscow Metro bombing (6 February 2004)
- Madrid train bombings (11 March 2004)
External links and references
- Google News — Search Google News for "London Bombings"
- Newsnow London Explosions — More news headlines related to this topic
- Transport for London Website — Current status of London transport
- [42] — Liftshare
- London responds — Wiki-based links collection and home base for "london77" tag
News articles
- Guardian Newsblog live coverage — Bomb blasts plunge London into chaos (rolling post through day)
- [43] -The Economist Display Story
- London Explosions — BBC News In Depth page
- 'Bombs' injure dozens — Sky News
- Multiple explosions rock London — CNN
- Many hurt as blasts rock London — The Guardian
- London blasts: At a glance — BBC News: Timeline of events so far
- Timeline of London blasts — CNN
- A Letter To The Terrorists, From London — The London News Review
- London blast: survivors' tales — The Times
- At least 12 killed as explosions rock London — CTV
- Aanslagen in Londen (From Indymedia.nl — Article in Dutch, additional links to English and German news sources)
- London: Explosion Updates (From Indymedia UK)
- canada.com coverage — canada.com
Live streams
- BBC TV: Windows Media Stream, Real Media Stream, Radio Five Live.
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation — ABC (Windows media)
- Radio RampART (web radio, London) — c/o the Radical Radio Coalition (Edinburgh/International)
Photographs
- Footage (photos and videos) from NowPublic
- 7/7 Community (formerly London Bomb Blasts - Flickr Photoset
- Moblog photo from Tube on the morning of 7 July 2005
- Location of Terrorists attacks via satellite imagery
Survivor lists Web pages collecting survivor notifications
Missing Persons lists Web pages collecting missing person notifications