LONDON (AP) 鈥 King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and countless ordinary Londoners paused Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London transit bombings, the deadliest attack on the British capital since World War II.
Fifty-two people died and more than 770 were wounded when four British men blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus during the morning rush hour on July 7, 2005. They were the first suicide bombings on European soil.
Two weeks later, four other bombers attempted a similar attack, but their devices failed to explode. No one was hurt.
The bombings remain seared into London鈥檚 collective memory, and the anniversary was being marked with events including a ceremony at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park and a service of commemoration at St. Paul鈥檚 Cathedral.
At 8:50 a.m., the moment the first bomb exploded 20 years ago, Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the Hyde Park monument, a group of 52 steel columns commemorating the people who were killed. At subway stations near where the explosions hit, staff and commuters paused for a minute's silence.
Dan Biddle, who lost both legs in the blast on a Tube train near Edgware Road station, said the day brought mixed emotions.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e thankful you鈥檝e survived it, you feel immense sadness and grief, but still this overwhelming sense of injustice that there wasn鈥檛 the public inquiry that was suggested and the scrutiny of what went wrong," he told the BBC.
Biddle also recalled the 鈥減henomenal act of bravery鈥 of an injured fellow passenger who crawled along the tunnel, administered emergency first aid and helped save his life.
The king said in a message that his 鈥渉eartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer鈥檚 day.鈥
He said the country could take heart from the bravery of the emergency services and others who responded to the attack, and 鈥渢he countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.鈥
Charles also hailed the 鈥渟pirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal.鈥
鈥淎s we remember those we lost, let us, therefore, use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us,鈥 he said.
In a separate message, the prime minister said that 鈥渢hose who tried to divide us failed. We stood together then, and we stand together now.鈥
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said July 7, 2005, was one of Britain鈥檚 鈥渄arkest days.鈥
She said that 20 years on, 鈥淚slamist extremist terrorism remains the greatest threat鈥 to national security, followed by extreme right-wing terrorism and new 鈥渉ybrid threats鈥 from hostile states, organized crime and cyberattacks.
She said the government would 鈥渞elentlessly confront and counter threats to our national security.鈥
