EXPLOSIONS ACROSS LONDON

[Andrew Boulton]

"Large numbers of casualties have been reported after at least six explosions on the Underground network and a double-decker bus in London."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4659093.stm

 

[Jame]

I want NO ONE from here to have even been scratched!



I'm listening to it on the news right now. It's disgusting, whoever did it - find them and torture them to death NOW!

 

[Golan2072]

Damned Terrorists!
I really hope that the number of dead won't rise - the two victimes reported so far are sad enough.

Just please don't turn this into a political thread - it's unfitting the human grief of this event; if you must discuss it's political aspects, please show respect and go to the Political Pulpit.

 

[Pickles]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
... if you must discuss it's political aspects, please show respect and go to the Political Pulpit.

Go to the 'in the news today' thread in the Political Pulpit.

At least it sounds like there are not many dead. But be prepared for those to increase as time goes on.

 

[Malenfant]

I'm just relieved that my Dad's OK, his shop is right next to Old Street Station (which was reported to have been a target, but he says it was just closed down).

But yeah. Boy, am I pissed off. I think a lot of Londoners are actually fairly stoic about this sort of thing though - we're somewhat used to bombings what with the IRA campaigns, and I doubt if we're going to see people getting all panicky and paranoid. Even something like this we'd take in our stride, and carry on with things as normally as we can and damn the terrorists. That's what we do.

 

[bryan gibson]

Just please don't turn this into a political thread - it's unfitting the human grief of this event; if you must discuss it's political aspects, please show respect and go to the Political Pulpit.

well said and second the motion, and I'm not gonna sputter, emit surprise nor make pointless noises of indignity.

Allow me instead to offer my best wishes and condolences to our friends across the water.As Mal says, Brits in genearal and Londoners especially seem at their best when things are at their worst, and they are showing an amazing quality of character in this time of need.

I have several friends there, (in fact, I seem to recall LisaGB is a London girl) and I hope they are all okay.

To all our Brit COTI folks, my support and sympathies.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

And, report in all you Brit CotIs! We want to know you're OK.

(I hadn't read this board yet, so I started a thread in the Political Forum here.)

 

[TKalbfus]

Let us unite the Alliance and crush these terrorists!

 

[Uncle Bob]

I just heard. God be with you.

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Malenfant:
Even something like this we'd take in our stride, and carry on with things as normally as we can and damn the terrorists. That's what we do.

Stiff upper lip. A sign of a healthy culture, I think.

 

[Flynn]

My heart and thoughts go out to you guys across the Atlantic from us. I know what we've gone through, with you guys beside us, and I hope we return the favor well.

Was anyone we know from the boards impacted directly by the explosions? Are their families okay?

Hoping our friends are okay,
Flynn

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Originally posted by Malenfant:
I think a lot of Londoners are actually fairly stoic about this sort of thing though - we're somewhat used to bombings what with the IRA campaigns, and I doubt if we're going to see people getting all panicky and paranoid. Even something like this we'd take in our stride, and carry on with things as normally as we can and damn the terrorists. That's what we do.

This seems to be exactly what's happening. "Almost surreally calm" is a description I've just heard. An earlier report said local residents were handing out cups of tea to injured and stranded people, which is just wonderfully British

Of course, it helps that we've been *incredibly* lucky. This could've been much, much worse.

 

[mike wightman]

It is much worse

The Police SOP is to downplay the casualty figures to avoid panic.

It's up to 33 now, and it will probably rise

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
An earlier report said local residents were handing out cups of tea to injured and stranded people, which is just wonderfully British

^_^

from this BBC report, '"Oi! If you see police running you should bloody run as well," an officer shouted at me.'

I'm drinking a sympathy cup of tea at the moment. I've expressed my initial view of things on my blog (click the homepage button on this post if you like) and since they include political matters I won't post it here. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this.

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
It is much worse

http://www.bbc.co.uk/
is IMO the best source for updates. BBC 4 (radio) I've read might be the best audio source, though I'm not that familiar with BBC radio in the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
for more information and ways to listen online.

Hope this helps.

[slight update AND correction] Five Live seems to be running constant updates. Also accessible via the above BBC radio page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/index.shtml

 

[Scarecrow]

CotI Brit reporting in!

Well, I'm quite a distance from Londinium, so no danger there.

As far as I understand it, the current prime suspect is an electricity surge. No-one has mentioned terrorism yet, though one report said that there may have been explosive devices on one of the undergroudn trains - or something.

Crow

 

[mike wightman]

The news conference has just said it was four bombs, three on the underground and one on a bus - the latter may have been a suicide bomber.

A previously unknown al Qaeda group has claimed responsibility.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The surge was the first suggestion, but it turns out that was just a side-effect of the tube explosions. It was obviously bombs once the bus blew up...

"It is much worse"

I know :-(

Fewer bombs - up to 7 were mentioned, but that's been reduced to 4 - but they were bigger than first thought.

I'm very impressed with how it's being dealt with.

 

[Pickles]

From the reports, the electrical surge was just the first theory, everyone now seems pretty certain that bombs were the cause.

The death toll is sure to rise, there are no casualty figures for the bus explosion. A bad sign.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Doctors on the scene (it happened outside the HQ of the British Medical Association...) say 10 dead on the bus.

 

[Chuck Anumia]

Originally posted by Malenfant:


But yeah. Boy, am I pissed off. I think a lot of Londoners are actually fairly stoic about this sort of thing though - we're somewhat used to bombings what with the IRA campaigns, and I doubt if we're going to see people getting all panicky and paranoid. Even something like this we'd take in our stride, and carry on with things as normally as we can and damn the terrorists. That's what we do.

You Folk across the water put up with bomings through WWII.

This is small compared to that but it still sticks in my craw that this has happened at all.

I hope those responsible are found and brought swiftly to justice!