Qualla: 7 July 2005 London Bombings

7 July 2005 London Bombings: Introduction

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Megalit, CC BY-SA 4.0. At 8:49 on the morning of Thursday 7 July 2005, three bombs exploded almost simultaneously on London Underground trains - on the Circle Line near Aldgate, on the Circle Line near Edgware Road, and on the Piccadilly Line between King's Cross and Russell Square. They detonated within about 50 seconds of one another. Nearly an hour later, at 9:47, a fourth bomb tore through the upper deck of a number 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, near the headquarters of the British Medical Association. Doctors from BMA House were among the first responders. Fifty-two people of eighteen different nationalities were killed that morning. Nearly 800 were injured. The previous day, London had been celebrating the news that it would host the 2012 Olympics. The following morning, the city went back to work.

Image: Megalit | CC BY-SA 4.0

7 July 2005 London Bombings: The Victims

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0. The 52 people who died came from all over the world but had all made their lives in or near London. Their ages ranged from 20 to 60. The average age was 34. Thirty-two were British. Three were Polish. One person each came from Afghanistan, France, Ghana, Grenada, India, Iran, Isr...

Image: Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom | CC BY-SA 2.0

7 July 2005 London Bombings: The Hour Between

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 3.0. Between the train bombs at 8:49 and the bus bomb at 9:47, the city tried to understand what was happening. Initial reports suggested a power surge had caused explosions in the Underground's electrical circuits. London Underground itself believed this at first, which is why a code...

Image: mattbuck (category) | CC BY-SA 3.0

7 July 2005 London Bombings: The Attackers

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Francis Tyers, CC BY-SA 3.0. Investigators identified the four attackers within days. Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, the ringleader, worked as a learning mentor at a primary school in Beeston, Leeds, where he lived with his wife and young child. He detonated the Edgware Road bomb. Shehzad Tanweer, 22, also of Be...

Image: Francis Tyers | CC BY-SA 3.0

7 July 2005 London Bombings: The Response

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nevilley at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Within hours of the bombings, Muslim faith groups across Britain condemned the attacks. Sir Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain said the perpetrators were not true Muslims because their acts were contrary to Islamic teachings. On 18 July, more than 500 British Muslim ...

Image: Nevilley at en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

7 July 2005 London Bombings: What London Did Next

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Francis Tyers, CC BY-SA 3.0. Most of the Underground reopened the following morning. Some commuters stayed home. Most did not. The Circle Line stayed closed until 4 August. King's Cross St Pancras tube remained restricted to Metropolitan line trains for a week. The damaged trains were removed in stages over ...

Image: Francis Tyers | CC BY-SA 3.0