The Metropolitan Police Casualty Bureau is open and operating on 0870 1566344
Latest news on London critical incident
Due to exceptionally high volumes of traffic, the Metropolitan Police website is currently displaying essential information only. http://www.met.police.uk
The Metropolitan Police Casualty Bureau is open and operating on 0870 1566344
If you are concerned about relatives or friends who may have been affected by today’s incidents in London, please try and contact them directly before you call this number.
If you are unsuccessful and still have concerns that your friends or relatives may have been injured in the events, contact Casualty Bureau on 0870 1566344.
The Metropolitan Police would also like to hear from people who were injured or involved in the events so that we know they are safe.
We are experiencing a very high volume of calls to this line – at present we are receiving 42,000 calls per hour. We would therefore urge anyone calling it to please be patient whilst we continue answering as many calls as possible.
The Casualty Bureau number should be used for this purpose only and NOT for general enquiries. Anyone with enquiries about travel information should contact Transport for London on 020 7222 1234 or www.tfl.gov.uk.
We would like to reassure people that we are working hard to gain an accurate picture of the whereabouts of people believed to have been involved in the incidents.
If you have reached home, please contact people who will be worried about you. This will help relieve the pressure on the Casualty Bureau.
All emergency calls should be made through the 999 system. Non-emergency calls should be made to your local police station.
We now know the total number of fatalities to be 37:
– there were 21 fatalities at King’s Cross / Russell Square
– there were 7 fatalities at Edgware Road
– there were 7 fatalities at Liverpool Street
– there were 2 fatalities on the bus at Upper Woburn Place.
The total number of casualties is known to be approximately 700. Of those, 300 were taken to hospital by ambulance and the remainder presented themselves at hospital.
There follows an outline of this morning’s events:
At 08.51 on 7 July at Liverpool Street Station there was an explosion in a train carriage 100 yards into the (Liverpool Street-bound station) tunnel.
At 08.56 there was another incident at King’s Cross / Russell Square. Both stations were used to bring out casualties.
There are two mortuaries for this incident – these are at the Royal National Hotel and the Holiday Inn in Bloomsbury.
At 09.17 there was an explosion on a train coming into Edgware Road underground station approximately 100 yards into the tunnel. This explosion blew through a wall onto another train on an adjoining platform.
Three trains are believed to have been involved.
At 09.47 there was an explosion on a bus at Upper Woburn Square junction with Tavistock Place.
There were four devices in total and there are 37 confirmed fatalities. There was no warning to police and we have not received any claims of responsibility.
These were callous attacks on innocent members of the public deliberately designed to kill and inflict maximum injury.
Please remain vigilant.
***********
and ….
a statement from the London Ambulance Service
http://www.londonambulance.co.uk
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07 July 2005 – 13:00 hrs
We were called at 08.51 this morning (Thursday 7 July) to reports of an incident at Liverpool Street Station.
Since the original call, we have dispatched numerous London Ambulance Service resources to the following locations:
Aldgate Underground Station
Liverpool Street Station
Kings Cross Underground Station
Russell Square Underground Station
Edgware Road Underground Station
Tavistock Place
Moorgate Underground Station
We can confirm we have not been called to an incident at Leicester Square.
Working with the other London emergency services, ambulance services from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Essex, and voluntary agencies such as St John Ambulance and British Red Cross, we are doing all we can to get casualties to safety and ensure they get the medical help they need as quickly as possible.
Paramedics and doctors are currently treating casualties with injuries ranging from severe trauma injuries to minor cuts and bruises.
Patients with life-threatening or serious injuries are being stabilised at the scene before they are taken to hospital. Examples of treatment include crews giving oxygen, stemming bleeding, applying splints to support fractures, providing drugs and fluids through intravenous drips and assisting patients with their breathing.
Patients with minor injuries are being treated at the scene and taken to hospital by our patient transport service staff and voluntary aid agency ambulances if further treatment is needed
Due to current levels of demand, we will, until further notice, only be sending ambulances to patients across the capital with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. As an example, this is people who have difficulty in breathing or persistent chest pains; those who have stopped breathing; or who have received traumatic injuries. This will enable us to focus on treating the large numbers of casualties at the scene.
We would urge callers with minor injuries or illnesses to think about using other healthcare options, for example visit their local pharmacist or walk-in centre, or call NHS Direct for advice. If people need to go to hospital, they should use other modes of transport – call a taxi or get a lift with a friend or family member.
Those members of the public wishing to give blood should visit the National Blood Service’s website – www.blood.co.uk for more information
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07 July 2005 – 18:00 hrs
Response to explosions in London today
London Ambulance Service has been working alongside other emergency services throughout Thursday 7 July to respond to four explosions at locations in central London, where a total of 37 fatalities have been confirmed.
The first call was received shortly after ten to nine in the morning, to a location on the underground network between Liverpool Street and Aldgate East stations. It has now been confirmed that 7 people died here. The next explosion took place at Edgware Road underground station, where 7 people died. The third explosion was on the underground between Kings Cross and Russell Square station. At this location, 21 people were killed. The final explosion took place on a bus at Tavistock Place, where 2 people were killed.
The London Ambulance Service has treated approximately 45 people for critical and serious injuries, and a further 350 for minor injuries. Many other patients will have made their own way to hospital for treatment.
We would like to extend our thanks to all those who have offered assistance, and to praise patients and members of the public at incidents for the calm way in which they helped us to deal with these terrible incidents.
The London Ambulance Service and other services who have assisted have done sterling work in responding to these events.
This has been a tragic day for London. The thoughts of the London Ambulance Service are with the friends and families of those affected by the incident.
