London attacks: Over 40 dead
2005-07-08 14:19
London - At least 40 people have been killed in the explosions in London, a United States law enforcement official has said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because British officials have yet to make public the death toll, but US officials learned of the number from their British counterparts.
Near simultaneous explosions rocked at least three London subway trains and ripped apart a double-decker bus at the morning rush hour on Thursday, police said, injuring more than 300 people and sending bloodied victims fleeing from debris-strewn blast sites.
It has been reported that up to 1 000 people have been injured.
A shaken British Prime Minister Tony Blair, hosting the G8 leaders in Scotland, declared London had suffered "a series of terrorist attacks" and called it "barbaric."
"There are people who have died and people who are injured," he said, adding that it was clear the attacks had been carried out to coincide with the summit.
Officials shut down the entire bus and underground transport network. The attacks came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics.
By early afternoon, London hospitals reported one death and said they had treated more than 300 people. The Royal London Hospital in the city's East End, which received the bulk of the injured, said 123 of about 180 casualties had been treated and released.
'Dreadful incidents'
Sky News showed a picture of a mangled red bus with its top collapsed. Bloodied and bandaged witnesses reported panicked crowds fleeing as the blast rained glass and other debris onto the street.
BBC TV broadcast footage of a paramedic trying to revive one of the wounded, pumping the chest of his bloodied and blackened body.
"There have been a number of dreadful incidents across London today," said Home Secretary Charles Clarke, Britain's top law enforcement officer. He said there were "terrible injuries."
Speaking at the House of Commons, he confirmed four explosions had struck London - three on the subway system and one on the bus in Russell Square.
Elaph, a secular Arabic-language news website, and Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine reported a group calling itself "Secret Organisation - al-Qaeda in Europe" has posted a claim of responsibility for the blasts on a website popular with Islamic militants, which it did not name. It said the group claimed the explosions were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Paul Woodrow, an official with the ambulance service, told reporters that rescue operations were ongoing.
London Police Chief Ian Blair said authorities found indications of explosives at the scene of one of the blasts.
"We are concerned that this is a co-ordinated attack. We are aware that one of the sites does contain indications of explosives," he said on Sky News.
The explosions sent stocks plummeting in Europe.
The British pound fell to $1.7443 in late trading on Wednesday.
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Affected tube stations. (London Underground)
- AP