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Signs
on major roads into London are warning: "Avoid London. Area
closed. Turn on radio."
There are reports of explosions in Edgware Road, King's
Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and
Moorgate, Scotland Yard said.
London's entire underground railway network was shut down
and dozens of people were reported injured amid reports of
derailments and tunnels filled with choking smoke.
Police evacuated several mainline railway and underground
stations after a blast near Liverpool Street Station, which
serves London's financial district, and a separate incident
in the west of the capital.
"We believe there was some sort of explosion. There are
some walking wounded at Aldgate," a police spokesman
said, referring to an underground station near Liverpool
Street.
Hospitals across London have been put on major incident
alert and all non-emergency appointments have been
cancelled.
A
statement on the Metropolitan Police website says:
“We
are advising members of the public not to travel into
London. Public transport in London will be affected in the
next few days.
“We
are also asking members of the public not to contact police
at this stage unless it is a genuine emergency.
“We
are co-ordinating the other emergency services in responding
to this major incident.
“We
will be issuing a telephone number shortly for worried
relatives.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was "reasonably
clear" that London had been hit by a series of
terrorist attacks.
"It's reasonably clear there have been a series of
terrorist attacks," a sombre-looking Blair said in his
first comment in the wake of blasts which rocked London in
morning rush hour.
"There are obviously casualties, people who have died
and people who are seriously injured," he said.
Mr Blair said he planned to leave a G8 summit of world
leaders in Scotland and return to London, but he said he
would fly back to the Gleneagles meeting later.
He added the blasts were "particularly barbaric"
coming as they did as the G8 leaders met in Scotland to
discuss climate change and eradicating poverty, and the day
after London was chosen to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
Metropolitan Police Chief Commissioner Ian Blair said traces
of explosives were found at one of the blasts, adding he was
concerned they were a coordinated attack.
He told Sky TV "We are concerned this is a co-ordinated
attack. We are aware that one of the sites certainly does
contain indications of explosives."
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