You are here: HomeNews2005 07 08Article 85274

Diasporia News of Friday, 8 July 2005

Source: --

No word of Ghanaian casualties in London

London's police chief has revealed more than 50 people were killed in the terror attacks which brought chaos to the capital yesterday.
... Two Unexploded Bombs Discovered...
... Suicide Bomb?
There is no word yet of any Ghanaian casualties in the British explosions.

Notable Ghanaians, such as the Ghana High Commissioner in London, H.E Mr Osei, have been located and are fine.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, the Foreign Minister and Mr Kwabena Agyapong, Press Secretary are all expected in Scotland, to attend the G8 Summit.

"My government condemns in no uncertain terms ... these cowardly, wicked and murderous acts carried out at a time when leaders of both rich and deprived nations have gathered in Gleneagles to discuss important issues," President Kufuor said.

Ghanaians back home have been making frantic efforts to reach their loved ones in the UK.

In many parts of Accra yesterday, business at Internet cafes and communication centres peaked, with most customers reaching for the UK lines.

?We have not seen this number of customers before and almost everybody wants to call London,? a clients service executive at a business centre in Osu told the Graphic yesterday.

If you have word on Ghana casualties or if you were at any of the stations this morning? Send us your messages. Click here to send us your email.

  • Casualty Emergency Hotline: 0870 1566 344
  • Anti-Terrorist Line: 0800 789 321

    London's police chief has revealed more than 50 people were killed in the terror attacks which brought chaos to the capital yesterday.
    Sir Ian Blair confirmed 700 were injured in the blasts on three Tube trains and a bus during the morning rush hour.
    He was speaking as life returned to normal in the city - although tens of thousands of commuters stayed at home.
    Normally packed rush-hour trains were half-empty and stations were deserted this morning.
    Those who showed for work had a defiant message for the bombers.
    William Austin, from Royston in Hertfordshire, said: "The City will be up and running again today. These people won't have any effect."
    Thomas Carr, from Arbroath, said: "You cannot give in to this kind of thing. They are mistaken if they think anyone ever would."

    Detectives have launched a huge manhunt for the bombers who brought carnage and mayhem to the capital.
    Home Secretary Charles Clarke told Sky News the "number one priority" was to find the perpetrators.

    He said no intelligence had been missed and the attacks "came out of the blue".
    Mr Clarke said ministers were taking seriously a claim by a group calling themselves the European al Qaeda that they were behind the atrocities.
    The attacks - three blasts on underground trains and one on a bus - came during the morning rush hour.
    The Queen and Prince Charles will visit some of the injured in hospital this afternoon.
    Tony Blair is back at the G8 Summit in Scotland after flying back to London to assess the situation.
    Scotland Yard has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any unattended items or suspicious activity to police.
    This morning all of the capital's mainline stations were open and buses were running normally. Most of the Tube was also in service.
    The four crime scenes are still cordoned off as the search for clues continues.

    LONDON BLASTS TIMELINE

    08.49 - Emergency services called to London's Liverpool Street Station after reports of an explosion on the Metropolitan Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate. Reported as "some kind of power surge".

    08.50 - Police called to Aldgate station, east London.

    09.22 - King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations cleared.

    09.31 - The incident caused major disruption to the entire network with stations across the capital being closed.

    09.33 - London Underground said that there has been "another incident at Edgware Road" station in north west London.

    09.53 - Mainline train company First Great Western said its services into London's Paddington station were terminating at Reading in Berkshire because of the Underground crisis.

    10.00 - The National Grid, which supplies power to the Underground, said there had beenno problems with its system this morning which could have contributed to the incidents.

    10.13 - Union officials said their sources had told them there had been at least one explosive device on the Underground. One explosion happened at Edgware Road and there were suggestions of two other explosions at King's Cross and Aldgate.

    10.14 - Reports of a bus being ripped apart in an explosion in central London.

    10.19 - Mainline services were being halted short of London. The Silverlink company, which normally operates into Euston station, was terminating trains at Watford Junction in Hertfordshire.

    10.25 - Union sources said they had received reports of explosions on three buses in central London.

    10.32 - Mainline London to Scotland train company GNER said it did not expect its East Coast Main Line services to run as far as London at any time today.