Two killed, scores injured in London attacks
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-07 20:24

Two people were killed and scores injured in a series of terror attacks on London buses and underground stations a day after the city won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and as G8 leaders gathered in Scotland.

A picture grabbed on Sky News television shows people wounded in the blast at Russell Square on July 7, 2005 in London. Two people were killed and scores injured in a series of terror attacks on London buses and underground stations a day after the city won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and as G8 leaders gathered in Scotland.[AFP/Sky News]

"It's reasonably clear that this is a series of terrorist attacks," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said after at least six blasts rocked London's transport system on Thursday.

"There are obviously casualties, people who have died and people who are seriously injured," he said, adding that he was cutting short his stay at the G8 summit to fly back to London.

London's police chief Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said at least one of the sites of a series of blasts contained "indications of explosives."

"We are concerned that this is a coordinated attack," he said.

Two people were killed in an explosion on the underground line near the Aldgate station, a police spokesman said.

The blasts had caused "terrible injuries", British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said, although he did not give specific figures.

The attacks triggered immediate global security fears, and London and Paris stock markets began to tumble.

Washington, still jittery after the September 2001 attacks on the United States by the Al-Qaeda terror network, immediately boosted security on its Metro train system.

France, which lost out to Britain in the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, also raised its anti-terror alert to red, the second highest rating.

"This is a drama for Great Britain, for all of Europe, which was already struck in Madrid in March 2004," French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said, referring to the attacks on train stations in the Spanish capital in which 191 people were killed.

In London, thousands of people poured into the streets from underground stations, some covered in blood and soot, some in tears, many visibly shocked.

"There was a loud bang and the train ground to a halt. People started panicking, screaming and crying as smoke came into the carriage," said Arash Kazerouni, 22, who had been travelling from Liverpool Street which serves the main financial district.

"A man told everyone to be calm and we were led to safety along the track."

The roof of a double decker bus in central Russell Square was also torn off by the force of one blast.

"The explosion seemed to be at the back of the bus. The roof flew off and went up about 10 metres. It then floated back down," said witness Raj Mattoo.

"There were obviously people badly injured. A parking attendant said he thought a piece of human flesh had landed on his arm."

London Underground officials confirmed the entire underground and bus network had been suspended after they were called to incidents in Edgware Road, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and Moorgate stations, most of which serve London's financial district.

The blasts came amid Britain's biggest ever security operation to protect the three-day G8 summit hosted by Blair in Gleneagles, Scotland some 450 miles (720 kilometres) north of London.

The Gleneagles Hotel has been sealed off by a five-mile (eight-kilometer) no-fly zone and protected by 10,000 police, a tethered blimp with infrared cameras, and makeshift lookout posts.

Despite the hugh operation, anti-capitalist protestors have scuffled with police almost daily since Saturday with scores already arrested.

Four critically injured patients were being treated at St Mary's Hospital, a major hospital in central London, a spokeswoman said.

It had also admitted eight people who had been seriously hurt and 14 with minor injuries. The serious wounds included lacerations and smoke inhalation.

"We are still taking more patients in but we cannot say how many more," the spokeswoman said.

One of the evacuated stations was Stratford, which will be a key transport link for the site of the Olympic Games.

"The area is solid with people and I have seen many commuters with blackened faces just walking around looking stunned," said commuter Gerard Bithell.

London's stock market tumbled as Blair confirmed that the capital had been hit by terror attacks, while the Paris stock market fell by 3.15 percent.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the chief executive of London's victorious 2012 Games bid, Keith Mills, said Olympic celebrations would be put on hold.

"It's terribly unfortunate in terms of timing and clearly all our celebrations of the result yesterday will have to be put on hold," Mills said.