Terrorist attack on London, 7th July 2005.
Kings Cross Bomb - another survivor's account
Posted by 'MarkM' on the urban75 bulletin boards, 10:38 PM, 10th July 2005
I've just seen another account of what happened by BK (on urban75).
I wrote the following the morning after the events. I sent it to the BBC and then they asked me to appear on the news. Like BK said, talking seemed to help.
Its now dark and that is when I get down. I'm not sure how to react or how other people are dealing with it. Maybe meeting people who were involved would help.
Like BK I'm from Finsbury Park and I was on the first carriage. BK if you want to get in touch please do.
I've left it unedited complete with grammer and spelling mistakes:
I was at the front of the first carriage of the Piccadilly Line train between Kings Cross and Russell Square and this is my story.
I got on the Piccadilly line at Finsbury park having just left a train leave because I hoped to get a seat on the seconds train.
I don�t remember much between Finsbury park and Kings cross as nothing was out of the norm. I was reading my book, I still remember the page and words that I was reading when I heard the bang.
Suddenly the train shook violently and everything went black, people were screaming in complete panic some were shouting (we are all going to die) glass was everywhere I you could not see a thing.
Then I could smell burning and what smelt like burning rubber, I was terrified that there may be a fire. We were so confined that I suspected that if there had been a fire we would not have made it, it was so hard to breathe. I then though of my wife Sarah and how I wanted to say goodbye.
I felt my face and could feel blood. I did not no how bad it was, I felt all over my head, arms legs, I just wanted to know how bad I was. I could feel all my body parts and realised that I probably just had a head wound. I was fortunate.
I don�t know how long the panic or screaming lasted. Eventually the driver opened his door and tried to get a message out. No one could hear because of the shouting. I heard him say that we could not leave the train because he did not know if the current was off and that there was no communication.
Meanwhile things calmed down a little but there was still crying and screaming. We still had difficulty breathing and I had blood all over me. We broke the window to try and get more air in but there was soot everywhere.
Finally we started moving in a line towards Russell Square. We were told that he still did not know if the current was off so to walk straight and avoid the lines.
I walked straight, I had no idea how much time passed and I began to feel faint. I let on the guy in front of me in case I should fall, I found out later that his name was Neil. Thanks Neil.
Staff at Russell square helped us off the tracks and we walked up the steps to the main ticket office. I remember passing the lifts on the way. No way I was going to get in that I thought.
Being in the first carriage mean that I was one of the first 1-15 people at the top. I was confused and can�t really recall exactly what happed. It was at the ticket hall that I heard the rumour about a bomb.
It had crossed my mind but really I was not sure. I heard that people behind me had to walk past/over bodies and people had missing limbs. I found this difficult to take.
One of the first things I did was ring my wife then my parents. Then work and family. Strangely I still thought that I would go to work after getting treatment.
I asked my wife to meet me at Russell Sq so she could take me to a hospital. She was in Oxford Street at the time and had not heard the details of what had happened.
Later she called me from Russell Sq and having been cleared by ambulance and police I went to meet her. I got to the corner of Woburn place and suddenly people started running past me. I had just started walking towards the bus bomb. I immediately turned around and was able to meet my wife in the park nr Russell Sq.
We then walked from Russell Sq to the Royal Free hospital. I knew that the central hospital would need space for people far mo injured than me so I made my way to the hospital where I was born. The walk took a long time, I was constantly stopped by concerned people asking If I was ok.
I was one of the first at the hospital. And I received great treatment and they seemed very well organised. I am just glad that I am ok.
I count myself very fortunate, I don�t not feel unlucky. I am VERY lucky. And I thank God that I am ok.
In my mind I keep going over the events: Bang! Shaking, Black, Smell, Glass, Fear, Screaming.
I will probably take some time to get over the shock of this but my thoughts go out to those people who died, their families and those that are severely injured.
Finally, we must remember not to let this get to us. Let them not change our lives. We must live as normal. These people are evil, not affiliated with any religion. Someone at the press conference said that Islamic and terrorists do not go together. Well said. This is time to pull together whatever you race, religion.
I wish now is that the G8 do something good.
BK REPLIES: 10:25 AM 11th Juy 2005
Mark!
Hooray, another survivor. I'm so glad you made it. I think I may have been stood behind you, there was a man reading a book very near me. Writing my story and reading other survivor accounts has really helped me, so I hope that it helps you too.
I'm going to PM you; perhaps we could go for a drink in Finsbury Park and catch up. Are you at work? I'm going to work tomorrow. I would have done today but I am absolutely exhausted and decided I needed to sleep as I have not been sleeping much at all.
All the best
BK REPLIES: 10:49 AM 11th Juy 2005
Mark and I have talked and worked out that we were in the same front carriage and feet away from each other and he was the man who got the message to me from the driver that we could escape out of the front and walk to Russell Square and to keep off the tracks.
This was the message I passed down and several people behind me were thus able to follow Mark's instructions from the driver and get out.
So, well done Mark and hooray that you were there and able to stay calm. We all helped each other. We are going to meet up later. The internet is great, isn't it? And urban 75 has proved invaluable.
» Read BKs eyewitness account
» BK tells the Mail on Sunday where to get off!
» Read the thread on the u75 boards (registration required)
» Ken Livingstone's full speech on the attacks
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Survivor 2's tale
