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7 July inquest: emergency radio channel stopped working Inquests shown aftermath video of 7 July train bombing
(40 minutes later)
One of the emergency radio channels stopped working around the time of the first July 7 bomb, the inquest into the deaths of the bomb victims has heard. The inquests into the 7 July suicide bombings in London have been shown footage of the aftermath of the attack on a train at Aldgate.
Counsel to the inquest Hugo Keith QC said one of the alternative channels, known as channel 2, ceased working. The emergency services video was taken hours after the attacks and shows the devastation caused to the train in the tunnel.
He said this contributed to problems the emergency services had communicating with each other. Seven passengers were killed at Aldgate.
Counsel to the inquests Hugo Keith QC said staff acted promptly to deal with the "horror that had occurred".
Four suicide bombers killed 52 people in co-ordinated attacks on London's transport network on 7 July 2005.Four suicide bombers killed 52 people in co-ordinated attacks on London's transport network on 7 July 2005.
Mr Keith said the Aldgate bomber, Shehzad Tanweer, had been standing in the second carriage when he detonated his device, hidden in a rucksack.
It blew a hole in the floor but the train continued moving a short distance before coming to a halt.
Mr Keith said the driver, Timothy Batkin, could hear the screams of passengers in the carriages behind him but his initial mayday calls went unanswered.
He eventually used his own mobile phone to raise the alarm. This was possible because the train was in a shallow section of the underground.
Hours after all the casualties were removed from the train, emergency services returned underground to video the scene.
The film shows a forensics officer, wearing blue gloves, walking along the rails to the abandoned train near Aldgate.
Carriage doors can be seen, blown out, with shattered glass from windows and the interior of the carriage completely wrecked.
Seats were destroyed, along with the roof, parts of the floor and handrails.
Each scene on the film shows the personal belongings of passengers, which had been left behind.
The Aldgate bomb detonated in a wide section of track, rather than a tight tunnel, which meant wreckage was strewn for some distance.
Families of the deceased were in court to see the video.
The video shown in court was heavily edited to minimise the distress but it was still clear that it was the scene of a major loss of life.
Earlier Mr Keith had detailed to the inquests a string of delays getting emergency services to the scene of each underground bomb attack.
He said the evidence seemed to suggest the emergency services struggled to establish the exact site of each bomb and faced serious difficulties communicating with each other once on site.
Rescue teams were using runners to pass messages between platforms and ground level.
But referring specifically to the scene at Aldgate, he said the driver, Mr Batkin, and staff on the platform acted quickly.
"Those on the scene acted promptly to respond and to notify the emergency services of the horror that had occurred," he said.
He said one of the emergency radio channels stopped working.
Mr Keith said this contributed to problems the emergency services had communicating with each other.
Mr Keith described events at Edgware Road station, where he said the first ambulance did not arrive until 9.13am, as a result of the location being wrongly given as Praed Street.Mr Keith described events at Edgware Road station, where he said the first ambulance did not arrive until 9.13am, as a result of the location being wrongly given as Praed Street.
Five minutes later - and 23 minutes after the explosion - the first fire engine arrived.Five minutes later - and 23 minutes after the explosion - the first fire engine arrived.
Mr Keith said at 9.21 am a London ambulance crew called in to say they were running out of resources, saying: "It's chaos down here." Mr Keith said at 9.21am a London ambulance crew called in to say they were running out of resources, saying: "It's chaos down here."
Coroner Lady Justice Hallett is examining how each victim died and whether MI5 could have stopped the bombers. Many families still want a public inquiry.Coroner Lady Justice Hallett is examining how each victim died and whether MI5 could have stopped the bombers. Many families still want a public inquiry.
In addition to those killed, some 700 people were injured, many of them severely and permanently, when four al-Qaeda-backed suicide bombers, all British men, detonated their devices.In addition to those killed, some 700 people were injured, many of them severely and permanently, when four al-Qaeda-backed suicide bombers, all British men, detonated their devices.
On Monday Mr Keith said bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Germaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussain had unleashed an "unimaginably dreadful wave of horror".On Monday Mr Keith said bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Germaine Lindsay and Hasib Hussain had unleashed an "unimaginably dreadful wave of horror".
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