Aftermath of London Attacks
04:26 PM - Jul 9, 2005
First, Brainstorms and Raves is not and doesn’t plan to be a weblog covering current events or politics. I’m compelled to write about Thursday’s terror attacks in London, but my writings here cover how people are using the Internet, especially weblogs, to stay in touch, share stories, and write their thoughts about what happened.
My heart aches for all those in and around London and the UK regarding Thursday’s London terror attacks. Words cannot begin to express the sorrow I feel for the lives lost, for those injured, and for everyone around the bomb blasts. At the same time, I’m thrilled to see Londoners bounce right back to daily life, including using the Tube, the bus, and other public transportation, determined not to let Thursday’s terror attacks instill fear or otherwise change their daily lives. We are all impacted by these attacks in some way, but it’s our response to them that can make such a big difference.
Sadly, and so reminiscent to me of the September 2001 attacks here in the U.S., people in London are putting up posters of missing loved ones, desperately looking for them since Thursday’s London terror attacks. The BBC website lists people who are missing, along with photos and descriptions, and a form to complete if you know anything or wish to report someone missing.
Although there are currently over 1,000 missing person reports in London resulting from Thursday’s attacks, officials are hopeful that this number will dwindle to 100 or less in the hours ahead, especially in light of the fact that they can’t get into one of the Tube bomb blast areas due to safety concerns, unfortunately. Hopefully it won’t be long before they’re able to get in there, especially for those who are trapped in carriages below King’s Cross. Visit the BBC News webpage, Search for missing loved-ones for details.
The BBC has invited everyone who witnessed the bomb blasts to write in and share their stories. You’ll find them incredible, although a word of warning is in order since some accounts are quite graphic: London explosions: Your accounts.
As of 6pm London time Saturday, there are over 4 pages of personal accounts posted, and numerous photos submitted, and even video. Most of the video is captured via cell phones, so the quality isn’t the best, but they’re still clear enough to see what was going on. Note that some video is available to international users only by paid subscription, but there’s still plenty to view without subscription, too, as I found out myself.
There are also countless London bloggers sharing online, such as those listed at the London Bloggers website based on the London tube map. They’re telling their stories, sharing information, writing about what has happened, and letting people know who’s safe around them. Here are just a few: