Tuesday, August 17, 2010

1996 Canary Wharf Bomb, London







Here's a bit of local history... In 1996 the IRA admitted planting the bomb that exploded here in Canary Wharf about 30 yards from where we now live. The 1/2 ton bomb made up of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil was in a small truck 80 yards from the South Quay rail station that we use regularly. There were 2 reported deaths and 39 injuries in the blast and would have been much worse if a telephone warning hadn't been called in. The damage estimated at 85 million pounds nearly destroyed all surrounding buildings. Bottom picture is taken from my deck on the 22 nd floor above, it is close to that tree, where the bomb was planted. Click on this utube link and see the actual blast recorded from a CCTV camera on the street. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fWbuUQw5j8&feature=related

1 comment:

bizar said...

I remeber that day (evening)because I was one of the first at the scene having helped out a lot of people. I was a total wreck when I was back home at Luralda Gardens. I just did what my inner gut told me and walked into different buildings and dragged people out and used what I got at hand to transport people who where injured from the surrounding buildings.I just putted them into passing cars to get them transferred towards the hospital. There was this one woman(black) who was covered in blood and she couldn't walk anymore, so I took a chair and tranported her in that chair. Years later I just realise that I have perhaps putted my own life on the line because you never know what is going on with the buildings,but hey...I'dd do it again because people in need ...I just can't watch and go by.