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7/21/2005 
There are early reports breaking that a series of "incidents" have occurred in the London Underground and on another bus. According to a Reuters article, fire brigades were dispatched when smoke was seen coming from a train and a bus's windows were blown out by a "minor explosion".
Today is the two-week anniversary of attacks by suicide bombers on the London mass-transit system in which more than 50 people were killed.
According to the BBC the London police are not treating this as a major incident. In their article the Beeb has stated that the explosions were from detonators which were not attached to explosives. Detonators are devices that create the primary explosion which activates a secondary explosion. They are being referred to as "dummy bombs" by the Associated Press.
UPDATE
Update from a London native about what's going on (from Gawker):
University College Hospital has apparently been flooded by police, possibly because a suspect's gone in there for treatment. Police tape up all over the place.
The Warren Street tube is getting reports of a guy's backpack making an exploding noise (possibly while still ON HIS BACK), splitting, and then smelling awful. Then the train pulled into the station and they all ran for it.
The 26 bus had a backpack left on the back seat, and some people are saying that the windows are blown out at the back of the bus.
Oval, it sounds like some guy made a run for it, leaving a rucksack behind?
Shepherds Bush, no idea, but I live about a minute away and we're getting no sirens or ambulances or anything. It's the Hammersmith and City branch of Shepherds Bush, though, NOT the more active hub on the Central line. Above ground, though.
The Tube workers are apparently getting some sort of message that the explosions are due to nail bombs which had detonators (hence the loud noise) but no explosives, so it just sounded like a firecracker and then smelled horrendous. They're saying "dummy nail bombs".
There are general reports of panicky-looking young asian men (late teens, early 20s) being chased out of tube stations by fellow passengers?
That's about it. Let's do this again, shall we? In a fortnight, then. Bah.
posted by Nathan Hall at 7/21/2005 02:13:00 PM link |
