7/7/2005: London terror

This site can participate in the documenting of news, or at least the recognition of events. But sometimes all the rest of the news photos are so common that it doesn't make sense to do that. In this case I have located and posted here two shots that aren't getting as much play.

The above shot is being circulated around the net more than around the rest of the media. In particular, flickr's London Bomb Blasts pool has turned up interesting items.

On the cable news channels, I saw live news video of a guy being interviewed about what it was like to be in one of the trains that was trapped underground but not hit. And he was still shaking, long after he was safe.

They heard the explosion, saw a ton of smoke, smelled all sorts of things but had no clue as to what to do. In almost no light the passengers were confused and panicky for a very long time. They didn't want to leave their train, fearing electrocution from the powered rail or getting hit by another train. And yet they didn't want to stay, not knowing exactly what happened and why, or what might happen to come. Horror.

It looks like these two shots document that event, or that *sort* of event, from the POV of handheld mobile phone cameras. These people won't be counted in the casualty counts but can you imagine being one of them?

thanks for posting other than "the usual" pics UT.

The shot of people walking up the service exit stairs under emergency lighting is rather chilling.

Probably the best camphone pic I've ever seen. Too bad it is telling such a hideous story.

Yes, chilling. My heart goes out to them. I've two friends in London--one checked in that she was OK and the other went to Stratford yesterday, so he's ok, too. So senseless. So evil.

I bet there's a movie writer somewhere saying hmmmmmmmmmm........
Very tragic day for the Brits....... where does it end?

I have a friend who is also currently in England, but I don't know precisely where. I am therefore unsure as to how fervently to worry about her safety.

Elspode wrote:

The shot of people walking up the service exit stairs under emergency lighting is rather chilling.

They are walking along the tunnel, along the tracks. Their train was blown up between stations and they are walking along the tunnel to get to the nearest station.

Did you delete the pictures? They're giving 404 Not Found now. :(

pics completely gone. probably not in my cache either. grr

fixed

Elspode, 700 injured (that includes hit by glass etc) in a city of 7m+ in the inner city, I wouldn't fret too much. Wombat is correct, first shot was in a station however.

capnhowdy wrote:

Very tragic day for the Brits....... where does it end?

It'll never end...ever. :(

Undertoad wrote:

fixed

Doesn't seem to be the case, unfortunately. I'm getting them in some threads, not in others.

Not in this one, anyway. Or the cute hippo.

I'm not getting them, either.

They're back. Thanks UT, or mysterious healing powers of the computer gods, or both, depending on who is responsible.

They're back now. I couldn't get the hippo and tortise either for a while..