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#271363 - Thu Jul 07 2005 02:59 AM Explosions in London
Copago Offline
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Registered: Tue May 15 2001
Posts: 14384
Loc: Australia
Can't quite work out what is happening, seems to be still unfolding, transport has been "attacked" and buses and tube stations are at a standstill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk

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#271364 - Thu Jul 07 2005 03:17 AM Re: Explosions in London
ren33 Offline
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Registered: Thu Sep 30 1999
Posts: 12593
Loc: Kowloon Tong  Hong Kong      
Please Joe(Sypher) let us know you are OK... this area is where he works, Jill.
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#271365 - Thu Jul 07 2005 03:21 AM Re: Explosions in London
Copago Offline
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Registered: Tue May 15 2001
Posts: 14384
Loc: Australia
I know

Satguru too, bit away from where he is from what I can gather, but any of our Londonites please check in.

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#271366 - Thu Jul 07 2005 03:46 AM Re: Explosions in London
chelseabelle Offline
Star Poster

Registered: Thu Oct 07 1999
Posts: 10282
Loc: New York USA
This seems to have been a very well coordinated terrorist attack that probably was a long time in the planning. It is sickening.

I would imagine that most of our FT friends who live in London are glued to the TV right now. I hope we do hear from them soon.

Blair is expected to make a statement very soon.
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#271367 - Thu Jul 07 2005 03:57 AM Re: Explosions in London
moonchild Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: Mon May 13 2002
Posts: 242
Loc: london
Satguru lives in Kingsbury so unless he was in london at the time he will have been miles away. As am I. 20 people have been reported dead so far. Met Commissioner has said try not to go anywhere if you can (which is funny because you'd have a good job trying...)
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#271368 - Thu Jul 07 2005 03:58 AM Re: Explosions in London
ren33 Offline
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Registered: Thu Sep 30 1999
Posts: 12593
Loc: Kowloon Tong  Hong Kong      
Yes, very well planned, as usual, CB.
The Mayor of London is off sorting out the Olympics , Blair is absent in Scotland.
It seems as if the system of Major Incident rescues, hospital readiness etc is going ahead well.
These animals are the sickest....
I suppose you can say thank God no children are in that area at that time.
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#271369 - Thu Jul 07 2005 04:38 AM Re: Explosions in London
chelseabelle Offline
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Registered: Thu Oct 07 1999
Posts: 10282
Loc: New York USA
This does have the hallmark of the Muslim extremist groups--if not Al Quaeda, then one of it's affiliates. It has some similarity to the Madrid attacks.

They have already beefed up security in the NYC transit system since the London attacks. We are in the midst of our rush hour here right now.

Blair did seem very understandably shaken by these events.

There is also uncertainty about whether more attacks might follow--and where.
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#271370 - Thu Jul 07 2005 05:03 AM Re: Explosions in London
picqero Offline
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Registered: Tue Dec 28 2004
Posts: 2813
Loc: Hertfordshire<br>England UK
My son, daughter in law and son in law are all working in London, and are, like most Londoners and commuters, carrying on 'work as usual', though getting home tonight will be quite a problem - as it will be for many others who have to travel considerable distances. I've received several e.mails from other friends who are working in London, one of whom works in an office overlooking Tavistock Square, the scene of one of the bombs. They have all been advised to stay inside until further notice.
I think the mayor, Ken Livingstone, and Tony Blair are just doing their jobs representing London and the UK at the Olympic decision and the G8 summit. the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, is in charge of the situation as far as the British Government is concerned, and seems to have a good grip on this appalling situation.
Latest news is that there was apparently no fore warning of this evil act, and also that at least one of the bombs was a suicide bomber.

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#271371 - Thu Jul 07 2005 05:10 AM Re: Explosions in London
Copago Offline
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Registered: Tue May 15 2001
Posts: 14384
Loc: Australia
Quote:

Latest news is that there was apparently no fore warning of this evil act




One news, BBC I think, suggested that there was some kind of warning, or at least they knew somethign was going to happen and that Scotland Yard had notified the Israeli embassy. There will be so many stories and speculation happenign for quite some time I guess.

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#271372 - Thu Jul 07 2005 05:52 AM Re: Explosions in London
ladymacb29 Offline
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Registered: Wed Mar 15 2000
Posts: 16214
Loc: The Delta Quadrant
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8492258/

Quote:

A Web site posting said the blasts were the work of a group calling itself the "Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe."

No such group had previously been reported and the claim could not be verified. The claim did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by al-Qaida.




...which means it could be some pranksters, but shouldn't be discounted until it's checked out.
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#271373 - Thu Jul 07 2005 06:04 AM Re: Explosions in London
ren33 Offline
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Registered: Thu Sep 30 1999
Posts: 12593
Loc: Kowloon Tong  Hong Kong      
The Police and Government are asking the press not to speculate and start rumours. They are not committing themselves to any verified perpetrators. It is amazing how calm everything is.
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#271374 - Thu Jul 07 2005 06:32 AM Re: Explosions in London
Flynn_17 Offline
Prolific

Registered: Tue May 17 2005
Posts: 1138
Loc: Hull Yorkshire England UK     
It sounds very suspicious from what some eye-witnesses have said. 2 eye witnesses claimed that the bus drivers asked for directions shortly before the buses blew up - why would a bus driver stop and ask for directions? Do they not know the area?
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#271375 - Thu Jul 07 2005 07:14 AM Re: Explosions in London
DieHard Offline
Prolific

Registered: Wed Oct 10 2001
Posts: 1127
Loc: Louisiana USA
Just woke up to this terrible news. It's disgusting. Hope all FT members and their families are well. London is in our prayers.
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#271376 - Thu Jul 07 2005 07:27 AM Re: Explosions in London
moonchild Offline
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Registered: Mon May 13 2002
Posts: 242
Loc: london
we have had a large recruitment drive for bus drivers recently, I've been on buses before where we've been asked for directions so it may not be as suspicious as it sounds.
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#271377 - Thu Jul 07 2005 07:35 AM Re: Explosions in London
ladymacb29 Offline
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Registered: Wed Mar 15 2000
Posts: 16214
Loc: The Delta Quadrant
How many explosions were there exactly? I heard 3 subway stations and 1 bus, but then someone else said there were 10 total.
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#271378 - Thu Jul 07 2005 08:17 AM Re: Explosions in London
TabbyTom Offline
Moderator

Registered: Wed Oct 17 2001
Posts: 8479
Loc: Hastings Sussex
England UK
Things were a little confused at first, but it seems that there were four explosions - three on the Underground (between King's Cross and Russell Square, between Aldgate and Liverpool Street, and at Edgware Road), and one on a bus in Woburn Place.
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#271379 - Thu Jul 07 2005 08:47 AM Re: Explosions in London
Ballykissangel Offline
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Registered: Fri Jul 12 2002
Posts: 4643
Loc: Halifax Nova Scotia Canada    
My thoughts and prayers are with all Londoners today.

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#271380 - Thu Jul 07 2005 09:05 AM Re: Explosions in London
picqero Offline
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Registered: Tue Dec 28 2004
Posts: 2813
Loc: Hertfordshire<br>England UK
At the latest Metropolitan Police press conference, their spokesman confirmed there were four explosions, with so far 33 confirmed deaths, 21 at Kings Cross, 7 at Liverpool Street, and 5 at Edgeware Road. This total will rise, probably to 43 in total, as the number of deaths in the bus explosion in Tavistock square has not yet been confirmed. Some reports may cause confusion as locations may be named differently, eg Tavistock Square is situated on Woburn Place so any reference to either of these actually means the same location.
The Police again confirmed that no warning whatsoever was received of these attacks.
The chairman of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Dr. Sidiqi, has made a passionate condemnation of these atrocities, calling them 'madness'.


Edited by aramis (Thu Jul 07 2005 09:27 AM)

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#271381 - Thu Jul 07 2005 10:37 AM Re: Explosions in London
satguru Offline
Forum Champion

Registered: Thu Feb 17 2000
Posts: 8091
Loc: Kingsbury London UK           
Thanks everyone for all the concern, my mailbox had a number of messages checking I was OK, but as many of you knew I'm outside the central area and only know one person working there who I'm waiting to call.

My father was on the bus next to the Oxford Street bomb the IRA let off in the 80s and managed to avoid injury, and unfortunately so many people are concentrated in the areas they chose there's a chance many of us living here will discover someone they knew who was involved this time.

It seems if someone is determined to do this, especially if they don't mind dying in the process, little can stop them, though I wonder if the quality of the policing elsewhere would maybe have been more efficient.
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#271382 - Thu Jul 07 2005 12:30 PM Re: Explosions in London
marley Offline
Explorer

Registered: Thu Apr 01 2004
Posts: 69
Loc: North Carolina USA
The timing-- rush hour, the G8 summit, the Olympic announcement-- and the staggered-out, domino-like sequenceing of the blasts reeks of Al Qaeda. And obviously this is not the work of amateurs or neophytes. So don't be surprised if the group claiming responsibility really is a new "European" arm of Bin Laden's organization. That said, where and what's next? This just reinforces my belief that "the Coalition of the Willing" is distracted and in the wrong place in Iraq and needs to be going full-force after Bin Laden and his immediate circle in Afghanistan or Pakistan or wherever he has slithered off to.
My thoughts are with all Londoners and their families. Stay strong and don't let these misanthropic troglodytes force you to live in fear.

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#271383 - Thu Jul 07 2005 12:31 PM Re: Explosions in London
Sypher Offline
Moderator

Registered: Thu Sep 30 1999
Posts: 16547
Loc: East London
England UK    
Checking in as requested in an earlier post. This is the first time I have been able to get on the internet. I work at Liverpool Street and our area was cordoned off almost immediately. The news service was useless at first with so many reports contradicting each other and to top it all off, I missed gtho4's phone call because the mobile network had gone down due to the heavy influx of calls, but did manage to get a text off to say check the news.

Anyway, I done my bit for helping others as my boss and another workmate live the furthest point away on the Metropoliton line and had no way of getting home, so I told them to come back to my house where I will than drive them back home....(3 hr round trip). Finally home...thus writing this post.

As for work...back to Liverpool Street tomorrow...business as usual except maybe a delayed train or two.
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#271384 - Thu Jul 07 2005 01:37 PM Re: Explosions in London
ladymacb29 Offline
Moderator

Registered: Wed Mar 15 2000
Posts: 16214
Loc: The Delta Quadrant
Read this account from
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8499792/
Quote:

Close calls
My best friend was running late this morning and missed getting on the train at King's Cross so caught the one behind. When this was stopped and she found out the train she missed had been blown up she left the train she was on and tried to catch a bus -- again she missed the first one and had to catch the one behind. Minutes later her bus was gridlocked in traffic and police cars were trying to get through with their sirens blaring. Her bus driver suddenly opened the doors and told everyone to get off because more bombs were going off. She left the bus and asked police what was happening. they told her that a bus -- the one she had missed- had been blown up. She then walked six miles to get out of central London and finally found a way to get home. Needless to say she and everyone close to her feel very lucky that she is still with us and not at all injured.
--Liz Withersby, Sutton, Surrey (Greater London)


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#271385 - Thu Jul 07 2005 02:19 PM Re: Explosions in London
Geek Offline
Mainstay

Registered: Mon Feb 14 2000
Posts: 622
Loc: Minnesota U.S.A.
I love London and when I'm there I love riding the Underground. I was shocked when I heard the news about the explosions this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of London today.
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#271386 - Thu Jul 07 2005 04:09 PM Re: Explosions in London
gtho4 Offline
Administrator

Registered: Sun Dec 26 1999
Posts: 54492
Loc: Sydney
oz downunder
>> Checking in as requested in an earlier post.

phew, good to hear from you. I gave up trying to ring back; all phone lines between London and Sydney were clogged/non-existent.

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#271387 - Thu Jul 07 2005 04:22 PM Re: Explosions in London
vikan Offline
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Registered: Thu Jan 18 2001
Posts: 404
Loc: Casselberry Fl  USA  
Glad to hear you are all ok. You Brits are a strong bunch and I known you will handle this well, but it hurts!
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