News & Facts about London bombings

[sligoman]

45 people confirmed dead now according to Sky

[Troy.McClure]

Good to see you're ok Steve.
--------------------------
From RTE

Police in London have said at least 33 people were killed in a series of explosions in the city this morning.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick said there were likely to be more casualties.

Seven people died in the first blast in a tunnel 100yds from Liverpool Street Station,
21 died in a blast at King's Cross/Russell Square and
five died at Edgware Road station in an explosion involving three trains.
------------------
Does that still have to include the bus?

Map here

[Eire06]

45 people confirmed dead now according to Sky

they have changed that number to state at least 33 now

Any more word from Peader anyone ?

I was wondering that too.. he posted this morning but haven't heard anything since, hope he's ok

[shedite]

Apologies for the rumour dahamsta. the news sites seem to be pretty rubbish and all the news I'm gettin are through various forums which obviously are just normal people rather than officials. What sites are the best for keeping up to date? I'm keepin an eye on sky, bbc and breaking news but it's pretty thin news.

[dahamsta]

The mainstream website updates are atrocious, I guess I'm lucky having the tv right next to me. A breaking news service like BreakingNews.ie is probably your best bet, for the simple reason that they have access to the wires, and of course they're sitting next to a tv just like me!

EDIT: Sky News did the usual this morning, causing more confusion than anything with their reports. The web team's reports were an absolute disgrace.

Also, anyone know if video of Livingstone's speech is available anywhere?

adam

[Frank Blue]

The mainstream website updates are atrocious, I guess I'm lucky having the tv right next to me. A breaking news service like BreakingNews.ie is probably your best bet, for the simple reason that they have access to the wires, and of course they're sitting next to a tv just like me!

EDIT: Sky News did the usual this morning, causing more confusion than anything with their reports. The web team's reports were an absolute disgrace.

Also, anyone know if video of Livingstone's speech is available anywhere?

adam

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/mayor...ent_070705.jsp

But here's the main bit of interest:

I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith - it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other. I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee, that the city of London is the greatest in the world, because everybody lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I'm proud to be the mayor of that city.

Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

[ColinR]

i'm not a fan of ken, but that is an excellent speech

[hamish]

Adam - I'm not sure about technicalities but my PM quota is used up - is there any way this could be freed up, if you know what I mean. If it costs I'll pay for it.
Reason I'm saying this on thread rather than PMing you is that I'm sure that lots of others on Footie will want to PM friends in London to support and comfort them. I'll try an use email connections if available for each member.

Sincere Apologies if the above doesn't make much sense - I was in hospital all morning and am just getting up to date with the news and horror of it all.

To all my pals in London - my thoughts are with you and I hope none of your family/neighbours/friends are hurt.

I'm not very religious but I'll get a Mass said for you all - it's all I can think of right now.

RIP to those we've lost.

Thinking of you all

[Drumcondra Red]

SiraHamish, go in and delete all your messages!!!

thanks for the PM, my sister rang at lunch time, she's fine as is the brother in law, thankfully! She pregnant too, so it would have been a real disaster!!!

[dahamsta]

What Drumcondra Red said sirhamish, just delete some of your older messages.

adam

[Peadar]

Good to hear nobody from Foot.ie has been affected by this directly or even indirectly yet (apart from the inconvenience of course).

I'll never forget what I saw, heard, tasted, smelled of felt.
I can't talk about this.

[hamish]

What Drumcondra Red said sirhamish, just delete some of your older messages.

adam

Thanks Drumcondra Red and thanks also Dahamsta - have done - sorry to be such a nuisance.

Glad to hear your sister and brother in law are ok. D Red.

My relations over there are ok too - two are in police and obviously not contactable for obvious reasons but family said they're ok.

May God forgive those responsible.

[hamish]

I'll never forget what I saw, heard, tasted, smelled of felt.
I can't talk about this.

Peadar - we're all with you right now.

God help you.

[strangeirish]

[QUOTE=Peadar
I can't talk about this.[/QUOTE]

You don't have to mate. We are all glad you are alive. PM any of us if you feel the need.

Strangeirish

[Troy.McClure]

Ya, all the best Peadar, hope you feel better soon

[Peadar]

You want to hear something funny!?
After having something so terrifying presented to me on my lap, all I have to worry about is what hotel I can get into tonight. What I saw, what I heard, what I see when I close my eyes, what I taste when I clear my throat, it's something that someone else has been forced to realise. I've not even accepted that I was 2 carriages from the bomb.
The sounds, sights, smells, feeling, these will never leave me.
I can't even close my eyes!
I can still hear the cries of pain and calls for help.
The people that I couldn't help.
I'll never forget the way the incredible people of London cared for me. This will never leave me.

[Poor Student]

I'm sorry to hear Peadar. There's nothing I can say that could remotely comfort you but you have my sympathies.

[shedite]

Sounds horrific. At least you were two carraiges away! Could have been a lot worse

[sligoman]

May God forgive those responsible.

It's not forgiven them I hope he'd do

[Plastic Paddy]

I'm flying to Moscow tomorrow morning and now have to walk into Farringdon to pick up my passport (with the necessary visa) from the travel agency. It's a fifteen-mile round trip, and not one I'm at all looking forward to.

PP

Just back from my marathon hike through the West End, into the City and out again as there were no buses past Notting Hill. I walked in more-or-less a straight line from Uxbridge Road to Holborn and then up Clerkenwell Road to Farringdon. Never seen anything like the crowds I met consistently from about Notting Hill on (i.e. about five miles). Chock solid. And all walking the other way to me.

I took a touch of nerves when I got to Marble Arch and the start of Oxford Street, preferring to cut down Wigmore Street for the best part of a mile, as it runs parallel but is far less crowded. Back onto Tottenham Court Road, which had no traffic but again hundreds of people walking in deathly silence. My route was to have taken me up by Tavistock Square, but I wanted to stay well clear and so walked up Clerkenwell Road to Turnmills club and thence to the agency to pick up my passport with Russian visa. Phew.

People were calm, walking along with what seemed a real sense of purpose. It was hard not to detect a sense of collective wilful amnesia; as if, by a joint effort at distraction, we could all erase the events of today. When it all starts to sink in; when we who live, work and visit London, face our first bus and Tube journeys, whenever they are, we'll no doubt all stop, think and shudder at the thought that it could have been any one of us.

I decided to take the scenic walk home via the back of St Pancras and Camden along the Regents Canal and Grand Union Canal - the though of being amidst too many people was scaring me - too long brooding on it, I guess. It was incident- and paranoia-free, thank God, so I'll leave the commentary there.

PP

- Edit - Peadar, I've just read your post. Thank God you're safe. Good luck and God bless. - PP