July 7th, 2005

Attack in London

July 7, 2005, four years after the September 11, London is attacked. The date is important because it is the bloodiest terrorist attack in the United Kingdom since 1988, when 270 people died in the terrorist attack in Lockerbie, Scotland. Besides, it is other terrorist attack by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda after the September 11, attack on the Twin Towers in New York.

In the London Underground exploded 3 bombs in three subway cars, the bombs exploded with a difference of 50 seconds. Around 50 minutes later, other bomb exploded on a bus in Tavistock Square. These attacks killed 56 people, and 700 people were injured. The bombs are four and a half kilograms of explosives.

At 8:50 AM, in the rush hour of the London Underground, three explosions make terror in the London Underground on line 204, 216 and 311. At first, the police thought that the explosions had been caused by an electrical overload. Si Lan Blair said two hours after the attack that it was a terrorist one. London declared the Amber Alert, the subway was closed, the trains returned to stations and services are closed.

At 9:47 AM other bomb, fourth bomb, blows up a bus of two plants when it was in Tavistock Square, he had diverted their usual route because of the explosions in the subway. The bus roof flew off and the back of the bus was destroyed.

July 21, 2055, days later, other four explosions exploded in the London Underground and a bus, the detonator exploded, the four suicide bombers were arrested.

Through the security cameras intelligence services indentified four suspects entering the London Underground. Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization, published in the Islamist website a statement where Al-Qaeda admitted the attacks. The authors of the terrorist attack were Mohammed Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Jermaine Lindsay.

There was a further investigation to determine whether there was official negligence.

Some rescue teams were sent to incorrect places. People thought that the protocols of action hadn’t been correct. The first fire-truck arrived at the station at 9:18 AM, 20 minutes after the first explosion.

Furthermore, people also talked about the intelligence service of the Ministry of Interior knew the dander called Mohammed Sidique Khan, leader of the terrorist group, and they knew that the terrorist group could attack. Heather Hallet, magistrate of the investigation decided that there wasn´t negligence. 

Leyre Hernández Sanz