10:19 Breaking News
The Sky News Helicopter hovered above the Thames with clear views of St Thomas’ Hospital shrouded in smoke. The emergency services frenzied efforts buzzed around the hospital. The camera panned from the hospital across Westminster Bridge Road and over to the embankment in front of County Hall. The scene showed emergency services outside the County Hall and black suited, helmeted and armed police in numbers outside the entrance to the London Aquarium.
Martin Brooker provided commentary as the latest footage from the incident played out on the screen in the sky news studio, “Police interest has also extended to the now quite famous tourist attraction the London Aquarium. As you can see from the Sky News eye in the sky dramatic pictures as anti-terrorist police prepare to enter the basement venue which is resident below the County Hall in its vast cellar chambers. Now this aquarium is one of London’s most popular attractions, attracting over a million visitors each year. We are receiving reports of an explosion inside the exhibition itself and unconfirmed reports and I have to stress unconfirmed reports that the explosion has breached the glass tank that contains two and a half million litres of sea water and over three hundred different species of tropical fish, including sharks.”
11:36 Breaking News
James Marshall stood at the far eastern side of Westminster bridge with County Hall providing a backdrop to his report as he reported back to the studio, “Thank you Martin, Sky news is receiving new information almost by the second now. The fire at the hospital is under control though not entirely extinguished. The entire fourteen story and seven hundred bed hospital now stands empty with only fire crews and bomb disposal teams inside those premises. There have been several fatalities I am told. Over the bridge we have reports the police have cleared London Aquarium, two bodies, a man and a woman have been removed but there are no further fatalities I understand though a number of people including an elderly Dutch couple a man and wife in their sixties, I am told have been taken to hospital with minor injuries and the effects of shock.”
Martin Brooker, “James in the studio here we have received reports that the large water tank, the rather grand central piece to the aquarium has been breached and all its contents have flooded the lower ground floor of the venue. Do you have any confirmation of that?”
James Marshall, “I have unofficial confirmation. A senior officer kindly told Sky news, though off camera for obvious reasons, that there appears to have been an explosion inside the tank and the viewing glass has been blown out. The explosion has occurred inside the water, inside the ocean exhibition rather.”
Martin Brooker, “We are staying with you James, the producer is telling me we have an eye witness who was in the aquarium at the time. No not you James, over the river on the south bank of the Thames our sky reporter Lucy Williams is down by the London eye. Lucy what can you tell us?”
On camera Lucy Williams stood by the London Eye with the County Hall cordoned off by tape and armed police moving around in the background.
“Thank you Martin I am joined by Mister Jiro Yamamoto, a Tokyo business man who has been in the UK for two weeks and was in the London Aquarium when the incident took place. Mr Yamamoto thank you for talking to Sky News.”
Jiro Yamamoto appeared on camera in front of Lucy, who interviewed him speaking loudly over the continued wail of sirens, “Now you were inside the aquarium at the time could you tell sky viewers what you saw?”
The middle aged grey haired business man, wearing casual jeans and a beige jacket nodded politely to Lucy and described what he saw.
“We were on the lower ground area of the attraction, waiting for the feeding time for the sharks to be announced. I was surprised it was still open as everyone was talking about the fire at the hospital. My wife and I and about twenty other visitors were watching all the fish and the sharks. Then a cloud of bubbles appeared high up, we assumed it was the food being thrown in. It was unusual and it had something rolling around inside this a kind of gas cloud. As it reached where we were we saw it was a man. He appeared dead or badly injured, it was very shocking. Everybody ran and as we escaped we heard an explosion and the sound of glass breaking. It was very frightening.”
Martin Brooker from the studio, “Mister Yamamoto, its sky news Martin Brooker here.”
Mister Yamamoto, “Hello sir.”
Martin Brooker, “Could I ask you, did you notice any explosive device attached to this man, a rucksack or even a thick coat or heavy clothing perhaps.”
Mister Yamamoto, “There was nothing that I could see, he wore only a summer shirt, light trousers, there was definitely no device attached to him.”
01:15pm Breaking News
Lunchtime Sky anchorman Richard Butler was joined in the Sky studio by the returned sky reporter James Marshall, former Vice-Admiral Peter Brough-Clove, an anti-terrorist expert and a behavioural expert from Kings College, Professor Joyce Bryars.
Richard Butler spoke to viewers into his number one camera, “James Marshall has returned to the studios to provide Sky viewers with the latest installment of this extraordinary and frankly appalling story as it unfolds. But first over to Lucy Williams with the latest on the scene, Lucy.”
Lucy Williams stood by the London Eye and reported to the studio, “Thank you Richard. Activity by the County Hall has calmed somewhat and as you can see from the Sky helicopter.”
Images of St Thomas’ Hospital from the air were shown. Thin wisps of smoke drifted upwards around the building. Fire personnel doused the ground floor with hoses. Around twenty fire tenders surrounded the hospital.
Lucy continued, “The fire from the hospital has been extinguished. Firemen have entered the basement area now, we understand the structure of the building is safe despite temperatures being reached at the height of the fire of a thousand degree Celsius. Clearly structural experts will be needed before that can be confirmed officially. Given the ferocity of the fire in that basement Sky has been told it may not be possible to retrieve bodies from the area, if indeed there have been any fatalities in that subterranean area.”
Richard Butler, “Do we have the latest on the number of fatalities overall Lucy?”
Lucy Williams, “We do Richard. Sky news has been told that there are two confirmed dead in the County Hall incident. In the St Thomas’ Hospital explosion we believe there are at least seven fatalities, mostly elderly and we understand all due to the effects of smoke whilst evacuating. Dozens more have been taken to Emergency Departments across London and the several hundred evacuees from the hospital are being found beds in those same hospitals. But this is London and many hospitals are full so we have makeshift wards being set up in local schools and council buildings. Richard.”
Richard Butler, “Thank you Lucy Williams. If I could turn to you James first.”
Back in the studio Richard Butler engaged his panel of sky’s chief reporter and two accompanying experts.
Richard Butler, “We are now beginning to piece together the most bizarre picture which suggests the most unusual of terrorist attacks. Where on earth has this come from?”
James Marshall, “The story just gets more incredulous as more detail emerges Richard. Whilst it is patchy we seem to have what appears to be a planned attack on central London. This is all unconfirmed but at about five am this morning a team consisting of a doctor, psychiatrist and social worker, with police support attended a wealthy residence in West Purley. What started out as an assessment under the mental health act quickly turned into a manhunt. The owner, a highly successful business man who had reported mental health problems and marriage difficulties had left the residence. In the garage police found bomb making equipment.”
Richard Butler, “That is a very puzzling picture James. We can’t name this man just yet but did he have any suspected links to any terrorist groups?”
James Marshall, “None whatsoever it would seem at this stage, but this story will run. Police suspect he is behind the St Thomas’ Hospital bombing.”
Ri
chard Butler, “So it is confirmed the explosion is the result of a device of some kind?”
James Marshall, “Not confirmed but strong suspicions and what we know so far points that way.”