Appears there have been 7 explosions in London

[BERIGAN]

Tony Blair seemed pretty shaken during his brief conference....which is of course understandable.

[Phil Meloy]

There's still only three confirmed fatalities two at Algate East and one elsewhere however the bus incident is worrying and it is now suspected that this was the work of a suicide bomber on the top deck of the bus which was completely ripped off. It looks possible that some of the other explosions may have been electrical explosions caused by a bomb elsewhere in the underground system as a lot of people coming out of the stations seem to be only treated fpr minor injuries and the stations involved are connected to each other rather than on different lines. Mobile phone service seem to be coming back on although I'm in central London and still have no signal at all. Also now looks lke seven explosions with one on the bus at Russell Square tube and the bus around the corner in Tavistock Square appearing to be different explosions.

Edited July 7, 2005 by Phil Meloy

[1ngram]

Radio 2 (of all places) is running a programme just now with people phoning in with their experiences - quite moving so if you have access to it try it. One guy was on a train at station and explosion (at that time descibed as power surge) forced him above ground to bus only to see bus immediately behind blow up. he legged it worried about third time (un)lucky.

[BERIGAN]

Radio 2 (of all places) is running a programme just now with people phoning in with their experiences - quite moving so if you have access to it try it.  One guy was on a train at station and explosion (at that time descibed as power surge) forced him above ground to bus only to see bus immediately behind blow up.  he legged it worried about third time (un)lucky.

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Wow!

[sidewinder]

Kings Cross seems to be totally jinxed by these things, after the terrible fire incident of years ago. I used to use that station a lot and I know Tavistock Square very well indeed.

[Phil Meloy]

That sounds like Russell Square and Tavistock Square. An undisclosed number of fatalities has just been announced at Edgeware Road.

[tooter]

Now that I'm retired I don't use the tube as much as all that but it looks as though the underground bombs were mostly on the Northern Line which is our local so that's a bit scary. However, we were both at home all morning so didn't even know anything until a little while ago. Thanks for all the good wishes and support from elsewhere for us Londoners - very good to hear and most welcome. Doesn't it make you want to do something?

[king ubu]

Now that I'm retired I don't use the tube as much as all that but it looks as though the underground bombs were mostly on the Northern Line which is our local so that's a bit scary. However, we were both at home all morning so didn't even know anything until a little while ago. Thanks for all the good wishes and support from elsewhere for us Londoners - very good to hear and most welcome. Doesn't it make you want to do something?

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Glad to hear your ok, Rodney!

[1ngram]

Fom Guadian site via Wikpedia:

"German Magazine Der Spiegel [11] has reported that a group named 'Secret Organisation - al-Qaeda in Europe' has posted a claim of responsibility on their website. This is a response due to the British involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan."

I suppose all and sundry will claim responsibility to start with.

[David Ayers]

Friends here in Jerusalem tell me that the Scotland Yard sent warning to Jerusalem PRIOR to the blasts that a terrorist attack is due.

If that's true, why didn't the Yard warn the Londoners?

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Good question. I will be interested to see whether that claim comes out here in the aftermath. However surprised people act this has always been a known threat - the fact that the date may have been known to the authorities adds another twist.

[neveronfriday]

It was only a matter of time until the terrorists would start targetting more European cities. As far as I heard, Berlin and Paris went on high alert as soon as they had found out about the attacks.

Being in London on frequent visits and often taking the tube to get around town I can't imagine how claustrophobic things must have been after the explosions underground. I also hear though (which does not come as a surprise) that everyone involved kept cool and jumped to the rescue - as far as that was possible - and probably helped prevent more deaths or worse injuries.

My heart goes out to the Londoners and people in England.

We Europeans are going to stand together.

The terrorists will not prevail, I'm certain of that.

Not ever.

[pasta]

Hope all goes as well as can be expected, our thoughts and prayers are with the UK.

pasta

[Phil Meloy]

Now that I'm retired I don't use the tube as much as all that but it looks as though the underground bombs were mostly on the Northern Line which is our local so that's a bit scary.

Not that it matters much but athough the the Northern line also happens to pass through a couple of the stations (Moorgate & Kings Cross) where interchanges between lines exist they were essentially all apart from Russell Square (Piccadilly line) connected by the District/Circle/Metropolitan line system - the two other lines sort of merge into the Circle line when they come into central London and share the same track. An explosion occured at Edgeware Road station which is in this system rather than at Edgeware which is a station right at the end of the Northern line. Tavistock Square where the bus explosion occured is literally yards away from Russell Square tube. I used to go to college in Tavistock Square and commute via Russell Square tube station to get there.

Edited July 7, 2005 by Phil Meloy

[7/4]

This is some depressing shit. I hope all is well with our friends in London.

I also hope I can get in and out of NYC today.

[JSngry]

Thoughts/prayers/etc. to all involved. This ain't cool.

[Peter Johnson]

God, this makes me sick to my stomache. I hope all you Londoners and your families are safe. Thoughts going out to you all.

[jazzbo]

Hope all is well. Sad sad news.

[bluesForBartok]

Another New Yorker here sending best wishes to all Londoners. When will this craziness end?

[.:.impossible]

Please, everyone check in from London if you are reading. We are all hoping you're alright over here. I've been watching the news reports all morning. It is frustrating to try and understand why people go through with these things.

[ejp626]

Another New Yorker here sending best wishes to all Londoners. When will this craziness end? 

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When the last human checks out on planet earth.

My thoughts and condolences as well. This is terrible. I haven't been in London a lot, but I almost always come through Kings Cross, so this definitely hits home for me. It really is an almost impossible dilemma -- really worse than air travel -- since to add the security that would prevent such bombings to the London (or NYC or Paris) undergrounds would make them all but unusable. But maybe some clever people will think up something.

[gslade]

Thoughts and prayers for all

for everyone and family and freinds

very sad news

[Rosco]

I used to work literally across the road from Aldgate station for a couple of years; ditto Liverpool Street and would have used those stations around that time of day. As horrific as recent atrocities have been these things really hit home when you see it on streets you know so well.

Unfortunately something happening in our capital was inevitable at some point but we've proved our resiliance several times before and I dare say we will again.

Right now the important thing is to concentrate on the injured and the bereved. A dark day.

[Phil Meloy]

Reports now say that four individual bombs have exploded. A London bus was destroyed in Woburn Place which runs between Tavistock Square and Russell Square . It appears now that Russell Square tube station itself was not targeted. Bombings also appear to have taken place at or near Edgware Road, Kings Cross and Aldgate East stations. At least one bomb may have gone off in the tunnel rather than at the station itself causing initial reports to come in from stations either side. Still only two confirmed fatalities from Aldgate East so far but it seems almost cetain to rise but it seems it will not go near the scale of the Madrid tragedy. In general everything in London is pretty calm at the moment while the authorites continue their investigations and the emergency services get on with it.

[BruceW]

Just getting news of attacks here in California. A very little bit of video has just come over the TV.

From California, we are praying for everyone and hoping for justice in catching whomever is responsible for these terrible attacks.

[J Larsen]

It really is an almost impossible dilemma -- really worse than air travel -- since to add the security that would prevent such bombings to the London (or NYC or Paris) undergrounds would make them all but unusable.

This has bothered me for a long time (since the day of 9/11, actually). It would be so easy to permanently shut down the transportation systems in any of these cities, and once that's been done, their economies would be destroyed. It is totally impracticable to inspect each of the millions of people who use these systems every day to get to work, and it is equally unpracticable for millions of people to rely on private transportation in these cities. A series of incidents like those of this morning, and it could be all over.