Police chief: 'Very serious incident' in London
Four explosions or attempted explosions confirmed at subway stations, bus
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Police seal off an area around Warren Street Tube Station on Thursday in London. |
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BREAKING NEWS MSNBC News Services Updated: 9:58 a.m. ET July 21, 2005
LONDON - London's police chief Ian Blair described explosions on the city's transport network on Thursday as the result of clearly "a very serious incident."
He told reporters there were four explosions or attempted explosions but that they appeared to be smaller than the ones which killed at least 50 people in the city two weeks' ago.
The explosions were reported at three subway stations and a bus.
Sky TV showed live footage of a double-decker bus parked by the side of the road in Hackney. In the footage, there was nobody on board or nearby and the streets appeared to have been cordoned off.
Emergency teams dispatched
Police announced they were sending emergency teams to the Warren Street, Shepherds Bush and Oval stations after reports at lunch time of unspecified incidents. One witness told Sky TV that another subway passenger told him a backpack exploded at the Warren Street station and there were reports of smoke.
Sky TV, quoting a police source, said the reported explosions were detonators rather than bombs themselves. However, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair later referred to the explosions as bombs smaller than those used on July 7.
Prime Minister Tony Blair canceled his afternoon appointments as the developments unfolded.
Haunting similarities
While not on the same scale, the incidents were hauntingly similar to the blasts two weeks ago, which involved explosions at three Underground stations simultaneously — quickly followed by a blast on a bus. Those bombings, during the morning rush hour, also occurred in the center of London, hitting the Underground railway from various directions.
Thursday’s incidents, however, were more geographically spread out.
London Ambulance said it was called to the Oval station at 12:38 p.m. and Warren Street at 12:45 p.m. The July 7 attacks began at 8:51 a.m. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.