London Bombed

There were a series of explosions in London's Underground today and one on a bus. The London police are keeping very tight lipped on the number of casualties. I doesn't appear to me that the number of fatalities should approach the number in the Madrid bombings. The eyewitness reports I've heard so far seem to indicate that these were smaller than the explosive devices used in Madrid.

I just heard a doctor from one of the hospitals quoting a figure of ten dead. As BBC Radio 4 passes on more information I'll post it here.

UPDATE #1 8:50AM: There were three bombs in the Tube, one on a bus. The bus bomb was possibly a suicide bomber.

UPDATE #2 9:00AM: President Bush tells Americans to be "extra vigilant" on their way to work today. Don't know what that means, perhaps you should shoot anyone with a backpack.

UPDATE #3 9:27AM: From what I can piece together there are now twelve fatalities and about 150 seriously wounded. The English divide the wounded into critically wounded, seriously wounded, and walking wounded.

UPDATE #4 9:36AM: The Guardian now reports at least 41 fatalities. The breakdown is 23 at the King's Cross, 9 at Edgware Road, 7 at Aldgate, and 2 at Russell Square.

UPDATE #5 10:09AM: Sky News reports at least 45 dead according to a reliable, but unofficial source.

UPDATE #6 10:21AM: Got to give it to the Brits, the tube is expected to reopen for the evening rush hour minus the King's Cross station.

UPDATE #7 10:30AM: MP George Galloway says: "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the Government ignoring such warnings."

I don't agree with Galloway about Afghanistan, but he is right about Iraq. I'll go into this further at a later date.

UPDATE #8 10:49AM: Head of the London Underground Tim O'Toole has confirmed that "the system is now clear."

UPDATE #9 11:50AM: From the looks on TV that tube reopening story was a bit overblown.

UPDATE #10: The death toll is now at 50 and expected to rise.