A survivor of the 2005 London bombings has recounted the horrifying experience of the July 7th attack. Sudhesh Dahad, aboard a Piccadilly Line train, vividly described the immediate aftermath of the explosion, highlighting the intense fear and uncertainty that gripped the commuters.
The bombing occurred as the train traveled through a tunnel towards Russell Square station. Dahad, heading to work, recalls the sudden stop and the initial shock of the blast. "My first thought was that I must be in a nightmare," he stated. The realization that it was reality, and not a dream, was followed by a desperate need to assess his condition.
He shared the terrifying sense of vulnerability and the immediate fear of a potential follow-up attack: “I thought well if it was a terrorist attack and it hasn’t killed anyone then there’s more to come. Maybe a biological or chemical weapon of some sort." This fear was exacerbated by the sudden power outage and the spreading smoke.
The blast, one in a series of coordinated attacks on three underground trains and a bus, claimed 52 lives and injured hundreds more. Dahad, along with other survivors, is sharing his story as part of a new BBC Two documentary series, "7/7: The London Bombings," premiering January 5th.
The first of the bombings occurred on an eastbound Circle Line train leaving Liverpool Street station, quickly followed by another westbound Circle Line train at Edgeware Road. Dahad's train was targeted shortly after. A final blast hit a number 30 bus at Tavistock Square. The attacks unfolded within a one-hour period, leaving a trail of devastation and grief across London.
