London Bombings

London Lessons:

A Public Health Response Analysis of the 2005 London Terrorist Bombings

Meghan Cummings

Penn State University World Campus

Every catastrophic event, be it of natural or man-made origin, presents a unique set of challenges. Each disaster, while traumatizing and often deadly, presents an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience which can then be translated into better preparation for future attacks and disaster situations. The London terrorist bombings on the morning of July 7th, 2005 were no different. This case offers many lessons for both specific public health preparedness and more generally, the efficacy of integrated response systems and efforts.

The morning of July 7th, 2005 rocked London with the worst terrorist attack the city has ever experienced (Aylwin, 2006). The attack consisted of four Islamic suicide bombers detonating on separate public transport routes: three on London Underground trains and one on a public bus. The first bomb exploded at 0850 on a train near the Aldgate station, quickly followed by a second bomb at Edgware station and a third between King’s Cross and Russell Square (Murphy, 2006). Nearly an hour later, at approximately 0947, a fourth bomb exploded on the upper deck of a double decker bus in Tavistock Square (Murphy, 2006). The attacks resulted in 56 deaths, 53 on scene and an additional 3 in the hospital, and over 750 casualties, 55 of which were triaged as severely injured and 667 as walking wounded (Aylwin, 2006). This major surge of casualties tested both the public health and emergency response systems of London as never before.

The response to the attacks of July 7th was rapid and well-coordinated when one takes into account the challenges that the situation presented. Aldgate was cleared of casualties in 1 hour and 20 minutes, Edgware in 3 hours, King’s Cross in 2 hours and 26 minutes, Russell Square in 3 hours, and Tavistock Square was still being cleared 2 hours after the blast (London...