J7 London Bombings Dossier
Index 18 - King's Cross to Russell Square - First Carriage
Official version of events
At 0850 a bomb was detonated by Lindsey Germaine, in the first carriage of Piccadilly line train number 311 travelling south from Kings Cross staion to Russell Square. It killed himself and 26 other people. More than 340 were injured. It took emergency services an hour to reach the first carriage. Once those left alive had been rescued they withdrew leaving the dead bodies in the train as it was feared the roof of the tunnel would collapse.
Query
Were the numbers of dead and injured exaggerated so that casualties from other undisclosed incidents could be allocated to this one?
Exhibits (K-R1 - K-R10)
All the statements are from named witnesses who were in the carriage (first names only for those giving evidence to the GLA 7th July Review Committee)
K-R6a – K-R6b (Gill Hicks); K-R9a-b (Carol) and K-R10a-b (Hannah) all confirm that there were deaths and very serious injuries suffered.
However K-R5 (part of the evidence from Rachel) reveals that quite a number of passengers managed to walk down the tracks to safety unaided and that she was above ground by 9.16am.
In K-R2 (Rachel from North London) K-R4d (George) and K-R8 (Mark Margolis) all indicate that they were not aware initially that the incident was a bomb blast.
Carol (supra) confirms that she was in hospital by 0950.
Related Information
Kings Cross to Russell Square (official version)
Summary
It appears highly likely that the numbers of casualties were exaggerated by the authorities. Similarly some of the rescue stories highlighted in the “official version” folder would appear to contain a lot of “dramatic licence”.
It is confirmed by the statements that the first carriage “evacuated” to Russell Square, therefore, what is the explanation for the bodies seen at Kings Cross?
It is apparent that the driver of the train played a heroic role in assisting passengers but for some reason this has gone unmentioned in the main stream media.
References
K-R1
Graeme Weston: "I met these two people at Tavistock Square walking to hospital. They said they were in the front carriage of the tube as it left Kings Cross when a bomb had exploded. They said they were the lucky ones."
Source: BBC News
K-R2
The rolling BBC and ITV news started saying the bomb at King's Cross was on the first carriage by the double doors going towards Russell Square - near where I had been standing.
When the blast went off I fell to the left into a heap of people, by the left-hand set of doors.
It was too dark to see what was smashed.
We escaped through the driver's cab and walked to Russell Square but the news said most people escaped out the back and walked to King's Cross.
When I started hearing the bomb was in my carriage, I flipped. I started pacing about.
I phoned the BBC to ask them where they got this information from, then I phoned the anti-terrorist hotline and gave a more detailed witness statement.
Source: BBC News
K-R3
p.177 Ian: No, I was on the King’s Cross; I was in the first carriage where it went off at Russell Square.
Ian: What basically happened was that I was unconscious for quite a while down there, so by the time I came round, anyone who could get out had got out, so you were pretty much on your own – you are on your own as in no one else is ‘fit to help’. The first assistance was from the train driver, who quite remarkably was waiting at the front of his cab. What you actually look for in these circumstances is someone who can tell you what to do; even if it is a basic ‘stay here’ or ‘move there’, you just need guidance because you are a bit all over the place, as you can imagine. Having worked my way over to him, he said, ‘Walk down the track towards Russell Square”.
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
K-R4a/b/c/d
a) p.127 I got on the first carriage, the second set of double doors on the platform side.
b) p.128 The doors shut. The timeframe now – other people may say different, but I’m only going from how I lived it – it was approximately 12 seconds, 12-15 seconds, and then this almighty bang.
c) p.129 There was never ever, in the first carriage, any emergency light
d) p.131 What was being bandied around by other passengers who were around – I spoke to someone and said, ‘Do you know what happened down there?’ ‘That person over there said it was a power surge.’ I said, ‘Oh, right.’
He then said that, ‘I have just spoken to somebody who has come back from the front carriage, where you have just came from, and he said, “It’s carnage down there.”’ In my understanding of the English language, you don’t lose that word lightly. He said, ‘It’s absolute carnage.’
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
K-R5
p. 49 There were about 30-35 of us in the front of the train, who could walk, who managed to get out down the tracks, led by the other driver, down to Russell Square station. As we walked down these tracks, the people who were more seriously injured, but could still walk, were coming behind us.
p. 50 At 09.18 – because at 09.16 ...
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
K-R6a
Gill Hicks, 37, who lost both legs at King’s Cross, was the last person to be brought out alive from the buckled carriage.
Garri Holness, 36, travelling just a few yards away from Hicks
Source: Times Online
K-R6b
p 152 “There were no stretchers”
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
K-R7a/b
Seconds after the train pulled out, there was a huge bang, then a flash of light
Please keep quiet; the driver is talking to us." The driver opened the connecting door between him and the carriage.
Source: The Times
K-R8
Mark Margolis, 29, from Finsbury Park, north London. At King's Cross blast
In the first carriage of the Piccadilly line train,
The first time I realised it was a bomb was when I heard people describing how they had walked past body parts. Thankfully I didn't see any of that but it's still just awful."
Source: The Guardian
K-R9a/b
p 109 Then, I tried to get up and I realised I had lost my leg; I was stuck under debris
I found out later, after I was pulled out, that she died. The next thing, andit must have been about half an hour… Actually, before that a gentleman had said that he was going to get help. I assume he was the driver because there was no one else on there at that time.
P 110 Carol: I am approximating with my times from what I know. I know the bomb went off at 08.50, and I know that it was probably 20 past or 25 past when I was taken out. Then it took 15 minutes to take me up, and I was actually in the hospital at 09.50, and I was in theatre at 10.00. 09.50 is an accurate time because it is written down in the paperwork and 10.00 is accurate, too.
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
K-R10a/b
P 231 I was standing in Carriage 1 facing the direction of travel when the explosion happened a couple of minutes after leaving Kings Cross station.
P 232 At that point other passengers trampled on my head and body trying to vacate the train.
Underneath me on the floor I could feel bodies but I couldn’t move to get off them. I could still only move my head and my left arm. There were body parts around me but I wasn’t able to identify them. I realised then that there were only 4 of us left alive.
Source: 7 July Review Committee [PDF]
