21 July 2005 London attempted bombings: Difference between revisions

On 21 July, 2005, four small explosions disrupted part of London's public transport system, exactly two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Bethnal Green.

London Transport Police reported that the three underground explosions were nearly simultaneous. Connecting lines and stations were closed and evacuated. Metropolitan Police later said the intention was to cause large-scale loss of life but only the detonators of the bombs exploded. Casualties were minimal, with only one person reported injured. The unknown bombers escaped, and subsequent arrests were later described by police as "totally unconnected" with the explosions.

Timings in the following article are approximate.

Bombings

Attacks on the Underground

File:July 21 London bombings locations.png

Locations of the bombings, overlaid onto a map of the London Underground

• 12:26 BST – Explosions occurred at Shepherd's Bush tube station on the Hammersmith and City Line in West London; Warren Street tube station on the Victoria Line/Northern Line; and Oval tube station, also on the Northern Line. The explosions were small – only about as powerful as a large firework – and only one injury was reported.

In response to the explosions, the stations were all evacuated and a number of other stations including Archway in North London, Moorgate, St. Paul's in the City and Green Park in the West End were also cleared. Many parts of the London Underground system including the Victoria Line, Northern Line, Hammersmith and City Line, Bakerloo Line and Piccadilly Line were suspended.

Some Eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell", described by some as resembling burning rubber, emanating from the Underground stations. Some early reports seem to be suggesting that the smell preceded the bang by several minutes. It appears that people on a train smelt a strange odour and realised something was wrong. They ran from one carriage to another while the train was still moving and then heard an explosion behind them.

Eyewitnesses at the scenes reported seeing men running away from the site of the explosions, and there were unconfirmed suggestions that one of the bombers had been injured. According to the RMT union, which represents Underground staff, the suspect used a handgun in a failed attempt to detonate explosives contained in a backpack (BBC News).

Attack on a double-decker bus

• 13:30 BST – An explosion occurred in East London on the Number 26 bus travelling from Waterloo to Hackney Wick, on Hackney Road at the corner with Columbia Road in Bethnal Green. The front windows above the driver on the upper deck were blown out, but no injuries were reported.

Casualties

Although the emergency services were quickly mobilised, it became clear that the small size of the explosions had prevented any significant casualties. One casualty was reported as having been taken to hospital but it is unclear whether this was connected with the bombings (BBC News).

Subsequent incidents

21 July

University College Hospital (UCH)

University College Hospital, near Warren Street, was cordoned off at 14:30 BST, reportedly by armed police. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three police officers armed with submachine guns entering the building.

Both CNN and The Times [1] reported that the armed police at University College Hospital were pursuing a suspected bomber who fled into the building following a chase on foot down Tottenham Court Road. Witnesses reported shots being fired as the man led police on the chase from Warren Street tube station. Police say the "gunshots" may have actually been detonators going off.

An internal memo at the hospital told employees to look for a tall man with wires protruding from his clothing. The memo reportedly described the suspect as "a black male, possibly of Asian origin, about 6ft 2ins (188 cm) tall, wearing a blue top with wires protruding from the rear of the top" (Sky News). The BBC spoke to Prof Jim Ryan of UCH, who said he had not seen any such memo and dismissed the idea as "absolute rumour" (BBC News). A BBC reporter, however, said that he had been given a copy of an email sent to staff asking them to look for the suspect (BBC News).

Later in the afternoon police said they had ended their armed operation at the hospital, but returned 30 minutes later. A Scotland Yard spokesman told the BBC: "We've got our armed deployment at UCH but we can't discuss it further." (BBC News). There were conflicting reports on whether the redeployment was related to the bombings. CNN reported that sources told them police had returned to conduct a manhunt inside the building, but police said the deployment was unrelated to the explosions.

Arrests

At 15:30, around two hours after the explosions, a major security alert occurred in Whitehall outside the Ministry of Defence during which a man was arrested by armed police. The man was ordered to lie on the pavement before being handcuffed and arrested, about 20 metres from Downing Street. He was also ordered to open his jacket and shirt before being taken by the police, presumably to allow police to see any hidden explosives that may have been on his person. He did not appear to be carrying any bags, and did not seem to be wearing a belt, although it was very hard for the reporter to see. The BBC are reporting (and television coverage showed) that he was wearing a small black backpack which the police had him remove before undoing his shirt.

Two other people were also arrested: one in the Whitehall area, and one near Tottenham Court Road, according to the BBC. But all were later released without any charges being brought against them.

According to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, the two arrests in Whitehall were "totally unconnected" to the earlier explosions.

Other security alerts

A security alert was declared, mid-afternoon, at St Albans Thameslink Station, north of London. The station was closed and the surrounding area evacuated following the discovery of an unattended backpack, however this is beleived to be a bomb scare.

22 July

Suspect shot at Stockwell tube station

Police have now confirmed that they shot an Asian man at Stockwell tube station shortly before 10:00am on July 22 — eyewitnesses report that plain clothes officers fired five times. Services on the Victoria Line between Victoria and Brixton and on the Northern Line between Kennington and Morden has been suspended at the request of the police (BBC News, BBC News (rolling coverage)). The man died at the scene.

Mosque surrounded by armed police in East London

Sky and BBC News were reporting (22 July) that the East London Mosque on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel had been surrounded by armed police and residents have been told to stay indoors, however Police have now confirmed that it was a bomb scare and the all-clear has been given. (Sky News).

Investigation

It was immediately apparent that the explosions were the result of a terrorist attack, but it was initially unclear whether the explosions were a serious attempt to repeat the 7 July bombings or were merely a symbolic attack or hoax intended to cause panic rather than mass casualties. It was later confirmed that substantial improvised explosive devices capable of causing significant numbers of casualties had in fact been involved, but had failed to explode. The explosions were caused by detonators which failed to ignite the larger devices. Police later disclosed that some of the devices used had survived the explosions, providing a major boost for forensic investigators (BBC News).

Relationship to the 7 July bombings

Both sets of bombings involved three trains and a bus; in both cases rucksacks were involved; and in both cases the three Underground explosions were roughly simultaneous while the bus explosion was an hour later. Moreoever, in both cases the four explosion locations were dispersed around central London in such a way that they could be reasonably said to have occurred "in the north, south, east, and west," recalling the wording of several terrorist manifestos. It has been widely speculated that the 21 July bombings were the work of members of the same Islamist terrorist cell that carried out the 7 July bombings. Given that they were remarkably unsuccessful, however, some think that they are more probably explained as copycat attacks.

The reason for the apparent failure of the bombs is as yet unknown, but it has been suggested that they may have been assembled from the stockpile of explosives discovered in Leeds following the 7 July attacks. Many types of explosive material (particularly home-made varieties) are chemically unstable, and it is possible that the explosives used on 21 July had deteriorated to a point where they were incapable of exploding.

It was later reported that three of the four devices were of similar size and weight to those used on 7 July, with the fourth being housed in a smaller plastic box; all were said to have used the same type of explosive (BBC News).

Suspects

Several individuals have been arrested in connection with the bombings, including one suspect. They may be among the individuals seen running away from the scenes of the incidents who were caught on CCTV footage. On 22 July, an Asian man was shot dead by plain clothes police officers on the underground system at Stockwell station.

Claims of responsibility

Sky News is reporting that the Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade have claimed responsibility for the 21st July bombings, although this is yet to be confirmed. The group also claimed responsibility for the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

Suicide attacks?

It is not yet known whether the 21 July attacks were attempted suicide bombings, as those of 7 July are thought to have been. However, given that the bombers were apparently within close proximity of the devices when they were partly detonated, it seems possible that suicide was intended.

Chemical attacks?

There was some speculation that the strange smell some eyewitnesses reported might have indicated a chemical attack. However, Police reports have indicated that no traces of chemical agents have been detected at any of the sites, following the attendance at several of the scenes of police in chemsuits. Police believe that the smell could have resulted from the burning of unexploded bomb material, letting off a noxious odour.

Response and advice

Prime Minister Tony Blair, Home Secretary Charles Clarke, and other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in COBR. Whitehall, the main artery serving the governmental district, was initially sealed off and evacuated, but was reopened at 14:45. It was subsequently closed again around 15:25 following an arrest and a bomb scare, both of which were fairly quickly resolved.

Sir Ian Blair, the Met police chief, has described the incident as "serious", and that there were "fewer injuries" caused by bombs which appear to be "much smaller than those used on July 7th".

The police advised people to stay where they were and not travel unless absolutely necessary. However, people living within a 300 metre radius of the bomb sites were evacuated, due to worries about chemical agents being used. By about 16:00, however, Sir Ian Blair described the situation as "firmly under control" and urged London "to get ... moving again".

In the United States, the Pentagon raised its security level in response to the attacks. In addition, New York City Police announced that they would begin randomly searching backpacks on the New York City Subway system [2] though they have said that this move has been under consideration before the events in London.

Impact on public transport

In contrast to 7 July there was not a complete shutdown of the London Underground system and parts of the network continued to operate.

• The Victoria Line was entirely suspended and reopened the following day
• The Northern Line was entirely suspended and reopened the following day
• The Hammersmith and City Line was suspended
• The Piccadilly Line was suspended and reopened the following day, except the portions still closed due to the 7 July attacks
• The Bakerloo Line was entirely suspended and reopened later the same day
• The Metropolitan Line was suspended between Baker Street and Moorgate and reopened later the same day
• The Circle Line was already suspended due to the 7 July attacks

All other London Underground lines operated as they were before the incidents. The Bakerloo and Piccadilly closures were reportedly due to train drivers refusing to work, rather than because of incidents on the lines (BBC News). All lines reopened the following day except the Hammersmith & City Line which remained suspended. The affected stations remained closed.

St Pancras railway station was closed because of a security alert at St Albans which caused all Midland Mainline trains to and from London to be cancelled. Thameslink trains from the south terminated at Radlett and from the north at Harpenden. With Moorgate station closed the Northern City Line operated by WAGN was also severely disrupted, with trains initially getting no further south than Alexandra Palace, and then a partial restoration of service with trains normally going to and from Moorgate using Kings Cross instead.

See also

• 7 July 2005 London bombings
• List of Foreign Ministry contact details

External links

• Group claim responsibility for bombings
• Suspect shot at Stockwell Tube Station
• Alert after explosions in London
• BBC News, Tube cleared after minor blasts
• CNN news story
• Sky News: Incidents Reported near Tube stations
• News.com.au article
• FOX News: London Official Confirms Subway Blasts
• Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair Statement
• Interactive map of bomb locations
• Official London Transport Status and Updates
• Statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair
• Metropolitan Police request for witness information