London Underground the focus for attacks in city's day of terror

On the morning of 7 July a series of four terrorist blasts in London ripped through the UK capital, killing more than 50 people, injuring hundreds of others and bringing the city's public transport network to a standstill.

Details are still hazy as rescue efforts and investigations are ongoing, but it seems that at the height of the morning rush hour, three devices were exploded in a co-ordinated attack on the London Underground system, with a fourth on an iconic London red double-decker bus.

The first blast was reported at 08:51hrs on an underground train just outside Liverpool Street station. A second blast took place at 08:56hrs, on a train heading from Russell Square to King's Cross. Early reports described flashes and initially attributed the incidents to power surges.

A third train was targeted at Edgware Road station at 09:17hrs, when it became clear that the explosions were part of a deliberate plan. As commuters and tourists began pouring out of the affected stations under a pall of smoke, many covered in blood, a fourth explosion blew the top storey off a double-decker bus at 09:47hrs in Tavistock Square/ Upper Woburn Place.

The London Underground network was evacuated, with all trains cancelled until a limited service began running on 8 July. Buses were also suspended by public transport chiefs in the city as part of their emergency plan to protect against further incidents. The buses later resumed service in a limited capacity at the end of the day on 7 July as thousands of commuters began what was described as the long trudge home in the absence of their usual mode of transport.

The attacks took place just a day after of the euphoria of the announcement of London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Also, at Gleneagles in Scotland, the UK is hosting the Group of 8, or G8, summit of world leaders and reports speculate that the attacks could be attributed to Islamic militant cults in an attempt to disrupt the talks and cow the leaders. The mood however, as evidenced by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, was defiant in the face of adversity. Blair took pains to remind people that if the attacks were due to militants, these people were not true Muslims.

By the morning of 8 July, rescue services said that more bodies were yet to be extricated from the wreckage of the King's Cross blast. In addition, processing of each of the scenes for evidence was underway, together with a huge intelligence gathering and investigative effort. Much praise was given to the rescue services and spirit of those affected in London.

T&TI will continue to update our readers as significant developments unfold and details become clearer in the coming days.