# Multiple explosions rock London



## SE9 (Apr 26, 2005)

Multiple explosions rock London



















Thursday, July 7, 2005; Posted: 5:38 a.m. EDT (09:38 GMT) 
LONDON, England -- A bus was ripped apart in an explosion in central London today and several blasts rocked the Tube network leaving dozens of people injured.

The Tube blasts at the height of the rush hour on Thursday were initially blamed on a power surge.

But amid the chaos eyewitnesses reported that a packed double decker bus in the Russell Square area had been severely damaged in a blast.

Union officials blamed the Tube blasts on a series of bombs, and Scotland Yard confirmed the bus explosion and said it was dealing with "multiple explosions" in London.

A second bus was reported to have been damaged in Tavistock Square. 

Describing the Russell Square blast, eyewitness Belinda Seabrook told the UK Press Association she saw an explosion rip through the bus as it approached the Square.

"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," she said.

She said the bus was travelling from Euston to Russell Square and had been "packed" with people turned away from Tube stops.

Travellers emerged from underground tunnels covered in blood and soot. Scotland Yard declared the emergency a "major incident."

Emergency services were called to London's Liverpool Street Station after reports of an explosion shortly before 9 a.m.

A short while later, London Underground said there had been "another incident at Edgware Road" station in north west London.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We have just sent some resources out to the scene. We have sent a number of vehicles to Liverpool Street station."

Police told the UK Press Association there were "walking wounded" and said paramedics had responded to one report of a person classed as "life at risk."

"There are walking wounded, but that is as much as we know at the moment," said the spokesman.

He confirmed that the incident took place on the Metropolitan Line between Aldgate and Liverpool Street and said the line has been evacuated. King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations have also been cleared.

The incident caused major disruption to the entire network with stations across the capital being closed.

Passengers were told that all services were being suspended because of a power fault across the network.

A City of London Police spokesman said: "We have closed Liverpool Street station as well as Aldgate.

"We believe there was some sort of explosion. There are some walking wounded at Aldgate. "We are not sure of the scale of the incident. Reports are still coming in." 

another report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4659093.stm


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## DarkLite (Dec 31, 2004)

My heart goes to London. And my condolences to the great people of London.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

I watch all the news! London is shattered - imagine: yestrday in absolute high celebration, today bad memories of Madrid... it's horrible


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## Sitback (Nov 1, 2004)

I fear what the death toll will be when all the confusion clears.


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## MikeHunt (Nov 28, 2004)

My condolences to the great people of London. It's a particular shame that terrorists would strike the capital of a country that, moreso than any other at the moment, is crusading to help the poor.


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## samsonyuen (Sep 23, 2003)

A very cowardly act...


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## Talbot (Jul 13, 2004)

Indeed it is a cowardly act, I feel very bad for London. Last I heard there were about 40 deaths, hopefully there won't be anymore than that.

All of the people that were victims and the families of the victims and everyone of London is in my blessings.


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## Tonka Truck (Jan 26, 2005)

Our deepest condolences for the people of London and the rest of the UK. We are all Londoners today. Brooklyn, New York U.S.A.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Fucking Al Qaeda...we're next.


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## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

are you an iraqi if there is a bomb attack every day?
i feel bad for london, too, though.


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## r2 (Jun 27, 2004)

fucking terrorists. i hate them. i try and empathize with these people thinking god what are we doing so wrong that we would be the objects of such anger and hatred. to hell with that notion. this is a pathetic act performed by heartless beasts who are below human. terrorism cannot achieve its goals by striking at innocent civilians attempting to go about their daily lives. with each strike public opinion sways further and further away from being amenable to their needs. my heart goes out to the people of london. i woke up this morning, walking through the living room i couldnt believe what i was seeing on tv. it was almost as bad as 911 ... which was a totally freaky experience.


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## Justadude (Jul 15, 2004)

Americans are already starting to send formal sympathies across the pond. My heart goes out to London and the UK for being victim to such a shitty, stupid, unnecessary atrocity.


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## lokinyc (Sep 17, 2002)

I'll never forget crying while watching the British outpouring of support for us during 9-11. My heart goes out to all those affected.


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## *Sweetkisses* (Dec 26, 2004)

Wow, yesterday they were celebrating and today they are grieving. RIP to the 40 people who died.


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## MikeHunt (Nov 28, 2004)

dubaiflo said:


> are you an iraqi if there is a bomb attack every day?
> i feel bad for london, too, though.


Agreed. The people of Iraq are certainly suffering -- both from Bush's war -- and from daily terrorist attacks. It's a shame. It kills me how the US press always speaks about the number of Americans that died in Iraq. What about troops from other countries and what about the over 100,000 Iraqis?

My condolences to the British and Iraqi victims.


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## MikeHunt (Nov 28, 2004)

Tonka Truck said:


> Our deepest condolences for the people of London and the rest of the UK. We are all Londoners today. Brooklyn, New York U.S.A.



Well said.


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## Effer (Jun 9, 2005)

*Sweetkisses* said:


> Wow, yesterday they were celebrating and today they are grieving. RIP to the 40 people who died.


 :bash: :bash: :runaway:


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

I despise religon...it causes wars and hatred. If the whole world was aetheist, we wouldn't have these caveman situations.


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## dave8721 (Aug 5, 2004)

My brother lives in London and takes the Tube from Kings Cross every morning at around 8:30 AM. I got a hold of him and he said he left a little early this morning and was out of Kings Cross by 8:20 and passed through one of the other stops that was hit about 10 minutes before a bomb went off there.


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## Anymodal (Mar 5, 2005)

deepest condolences here...

why did they do it?

olimpycs 2012? g8 meeting? war in iraq? maybe a combination of both. bad timing really.

also, see the pattern here, spain, USA and UK are in iraq, draw your own conclusions.


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## Peshu (Jan 12, 2005)

philadweller said:


> I despise religon...it causes wars and hatred. If the whole world was aetheist, we wouldn't have these caveman situations.



I'm not pro or anti religion.But the cause of this is money hungry politicians.
Weather religious or not.The day that a polie declares war and goes to fight.Is the day i will have some faith in politicians.Until then.They can go to hell.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

I know of three of my friends who missed trains (five tubetrains were damaged in the blasts) that were bombed including my housemate who saw the fated Liverpool St train leave his platform, all of them had been late for work that day. He was pretty shook up and has been off work today though all the news and govt is urging people to carry on as normal and people pretty much are.
In the words of ken Livingstone, this wasnt an act of religion or even twisted extremist religion, it was just an attempt at mass murder regardless of black or white, Muslim or Christian, Sikh or Jew, Hindu or Buddhist. London's suffered from terrorism for thirty years through the IRA and Real IRA, it makes little difference who is committing it or what they stand for because they are far from representative of their religion or peoples.


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## Peshu (Jan 12, 2005)

the spliff fairy said:


> I know of three of my friends who missed trains (five tubetrains were damaged in the blasts) that were bombed including my housemate who saw the fated Liverpool St train leave his platform, all of them had been late for work that day. He was pretty shook up and has been off work today though all the news and govt is urging people to carry on as normal and people pretty much are.
> In the words of ken Livingstone, this wasnt an act of religion or even twisted extremist religion, it was just an attempt at mass murder regardless of black or white, Muslim or Christian, Sikh or Jew, Hindu or Buddhist. London's suffered from terrorism for thirty years through the IRA and Real IRA, it makes little difference who is committing it or what they stand for because they are far from representative of their religion or peoples.



:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:


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## I'mBack (Jan 15, 2005)

Kuesel said:


> But it's clear, a western European is not an Ethiopian child or an Iraqi farmer - sorry for comparing that


I agree as it seems the most of the forumers do remember only NY, Madrid and now London, but what about the bombs exploded in Casablanca (May 03= 45 deaths!) or the ones in Istanbul (nov03=63 deaths!!) or the 202 deaths in Bali'attacks (oct '02)?!?!


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## gentlejunho (Aug 12, 2004)

My true condolences for Londoners.


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## nick_taylor (Mar 7, 2003)

I'mBack said:


> I agree as it seems the most of the forumers do remember only NY, Madrid and now London, but what about the bombs exploded in Casablanca (May 03= 45 deaths!) or the ones in Istanbul (nov03=63 deaths!!) or the 202 deaths in Bali'attacks (oct '02)?!?!


It is because these cities had large foreign populations. The attack at Edgware Road is in the largest muslim community of London. The other bomb that detonated inbetween Liverpool Street and Aldgate East is next to the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane. Many people if you read either travelled to and/or have relatives or links to these cities. Its because they are global cities that have large international connections than say Baghdad where this is a daily occurance.


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

And if a bomb in Istanbul explodes the media also only get up extremly if it's close to the embassies or international hotels.... 

Same with the Tsunami: much more people died in China and India before in earthquakes... anybody remembers? - Sorry, no tourist destinations, no holliday paradise! "We are all equal but some are more equal than others" - Orwell was right


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## Bombay Boy (May 6, 2005)

the coverage depends on two factors. who is controlling the media. and who is the audience and how will the event affect their lives

do people know how many millions have died in africa in the last 3 years in genocides? no. i can bet no one would know the figure, i dont. but i know its huge. why dont i remember the victims? because it doesnt really affect my life much

but people dying in new york does affect my life, albeit not in a huge way. besides knowing friends and relatives there, the action taken by a superpower does affect my life somewhat

we are all selfish beings. as long as it wont affect us in the end or we dont have any connection with the victims we are not likely to care


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## Küsel (Sep 16, 2004)

Don't forget Darfur, as most of the media - 150'000 people killed, >2mio refugees:


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## M.Poirot (May 8, 2005)

This is a very sad event. But London is one of the world's greatest cities; I'm sure it'll rise up again very soon.


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## Justadude (Jul 15, 2004)

I think you guys are underestimating people a little bit. The crisis in Africa has been in everyone's minds lately, with the Live8 concert and its status at the front of the G8 agenda. Even before that, it would be an extremely ill-informed person who hadn't noticed anything afoot in the Sudan.

I'mBack, you're right that the coverage of these events isn't always spread equally. But to be honest a coordinated attack on the London transit system is a much bigger deal than a bomb at a resort. Death toll aside, the amount of panic and destruction caused by yesterday's attack was on a much wider scale. The economic impact alone would have been enough to warrant headlines. The same was the case in Madrid, another major world capitol, and whose national elections may well have been changed by the bombing. 

The attack that I think was seriously under-reported was the Istanbul bombing. Perhaps because Turkey is at the fringes of the West, perhaps because it represents a much more complicated situation politically and ethnically (most of the synagogue victims were Muslim). But people seem not to talk about Istanbul much.


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## Peshu (Jan 12, 2005)

I'mBack said:


> I agree as it seems the most of the forumers do remember only NY, Madrid and now London, but what about the bombs exploded in Casablanca (May 03= 45 deaths!) or the ones in Istanbul (nov03=63 deaths!!) or the 202 deaths in Bali'attacks (oct '02)?!?!


That's a good point.The worlds media is run by white people.Therefore they seem to magnify it when it happens in white countries.


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## Talbot (Jul 13, 2004)

deleted post.


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## HirakataShi (Feb 8, 2004)

Peshu said:


> That's a good point.The worlds media is run by white people.Therefore they seem to magnify it when it happens in white countries.


No argument. It took 40 years before Western (Caucasian) countries criticised Apartheid in South Africa. But since the dismantling of Apartheid, at every mishap in South Africa, whether someone is murdered or raped or mugged, the Western media is quick to shout "the blacks did it".


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## I'mBack (Jan 15, 2005)

nick-taylor said:


> It is because these cities had large foreign populations. The attack at Edgware Road is in the largest muslim community of London. The other bomb that detonated inbetween Liverpool Street and Aldgate East is next to the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane. Many people if you read either travelled to and/or have relatives or links to these cities. Its because they are global cities that have large international connections than say Baghdad where this is a daily occurance.


Maybe it's a daily occurance in Baghdad, but not in istanbul, casablanca or .... Bali!
Btw I dont get your point of view: so the lifes of people living in those "global cities" are more important than a less global city, specially because the first ones have a .... large foreign populations??

I dont think so, the real reason is that most of the western world doesn't give a s**t of what happens in the poor countries.... Moreover I agree with Peshu: let's not forget the world media is run by white (= wealthier!) people! :bash:


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## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

Kuesel said:


> Don't forget Darfur, as most of the media - 150'000 people killed, >2mio refugees:


That sad


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## Peshu (Jan 12, 2005)

Bombay Boy said:


> the coverage depends on two factors. who is controlling the media. and who is the audience and how will the event affect their lives
> 
> do people know how many millions have died in africa in the last 3 years in genocides? no. i can bet no one would know the figure, i dont. but i know its huge. why dont i remember the victims? because it doesnt really affect my life much
> 
> ...




How unfortunately sad and true what you say is hno:


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## nick_taylor (Mar 7, 2003)

I'mBack said:


> Maybe it's a daily occurance in Baghdad, but not in istanbul, casablanca or .... Bali!
> Btw I dont get your point of view: so the lifes of people living in those "global cities" are more important than a less global city, specially because the first ones have a .... large foreign populations??
> 
> I dont think so, the real reason is that most of the western world doesn't give a s**t of what happens in the poor countries.... Moreover I agree with Peshu: let's not forget the world media is run by white (= wealthier!) people! :bash:


I dont't quite think your getting my point - London, New York and Madrid are international cities with international populations that influence how the world operates. When the bombs in London went off, all the stock markets in the world took a dive. People tend to have more connections with these world cities due to tourism, relatives and friends.

I also don't believe that its media being racist, but that because its close to home and that such international centres are being attacked. These cities are let us not forget the cities that power the world economy - heavily recognised and important to how the world operates. al-Qaeda will do whatever it takes to disupt these cities in a pitiful attempt to change events in Iraq.

Also one instance of the world giving a damn is Blair a few weeks back wanting curbing of EU agricultural subsidies which hurt African farmes, the second being the premier live 8 concert in London and thirdly Blair at the G8 wanting poverty reduction and now a unified aid plan for Iraq...afterall al-Qaeda needed to stop this so that it could continue: for with development, democracy and education the breeding grounds of al-Qaeda will be systematically cut off.


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## eddyk (Mar 26, 2005)

Acting as if its not reported in the UK

I bet the attacks in Iraq are in the news more in the UK than they are in Iraq

I turn on the news and almost every day I hear about an insurgent attack in baghdad that killed a few people...all Iraqis.

Same with Africa...
I bet us in the UK hear more about the problems in Africa than the Africans themselves. (from the media that is)


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## Tubeman (Sep 12, 2002)

Peshu said:


> That's a good point.The worlds media is run by white people.Therefore they seem to magnify it when it happens in white countries.


I won't argue with that point, but Bali killed predominantly Australians and Brits... Its not as if all the victims were Balinese.

Take it to an extreme...

You would not expect to hear of a single person murdered in another country unless they were famous, but you would if they were in your own country. In both cases a human being lost their lives, so on paper there's no difference. The media selects what to show us and how much depending on the amount of interest of the audience. One young woman abducted, raped and murdered in your home town is going to be of more interest than 10 women being raped and murdered in Sudan... That's the sad truth.

Look at the Tsunami; despite perhaps having 2% of the victims, Thailand received 75% of the coverage. Many of the victims were White Europeans, whereas in Aceh which had maybe 80% of the deaths they were all Indonesians. I don't think this is due to any inherant racism or because we didn't care about Aceh, its because thousands of Brits go to Phuket and Phi Phi every year, and hundreds were out there. Thousands of people in the UK were worried about loved ones, or could relate to the disaster because they'd been to the affected area. Its about "interest" within the target audience.

London is one of the if not the most visited places on the planet (2nd only to Paris?). Millions of people have been here from around the globe, millions more have family here. The Tube and red double deckers are international icons. London is one of the world's alpha cities in terms of entertainment and finance. I honestly believe it is of more interest to more people worldwide if 50 people are blown up here than in Casablanca... sad but true.

To highlight the global nature of this attack, of the known dead thus far there have been citizens of Australia, China, Portugal, Sierra Leone and others... people from all continents and all countries. Look at the faces of the missing, there are Black, Asian, White, Muslim, Christian... Attacking London is like attacking the world in a way that attacking Casablanca or Istanbul is not.

I'm not defending the media, I'm just explaining it.


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