Comes Day After London Bomb Scare
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 06.30.07 1345
EDT: Britons -- already on edge following Friday's scare
in which two abandoned Mercedes loaded with gasoline, gas
canisters, and nails were found in the heart of London's nightlife
district -- found themselves even more nervous Saturday, when a
burning sport-utility vehicle crashed at full speed into the
terminal building at Glasgow airport in Scotland, reported the BBC
News.
The events come nearly two years after the July 7, 2005, suicide
bombings that killed 52 commuters on the city's transit system.
Eyewitnesses described a Jeep Cherokee being driven at high
speed towards Glasgow Airport's main terminal building with flames
coming out from underneath.
They also described seeing two Asian men, one on fire, who had
been in the car.
Strathclyde police said two people have been arrested and
detained in connection with the incident.
The airport was evacuated and all flights suspended following
the 3:15 pm (local time) incident.
The airport was closed and passengers were cleared from the
terminal building amid fears of a terrorist attack, reported the
Press Association.
A spokesman for the
airport's operators, the British Airports Authority, said emergency
services were at the scene.
"A car is on fire at the entrance to the terminal and there is
considerable smoke damage to the terminal. The terminal has been
evacuated as a result of this, and all flights have now been
suspended. This is the start of the busy summer holiday period,
although Saturdays are less busy than week days.
"But this will cause disruption and our advice to passengers is
to check with their airline to establish if their flight will be
operating."
Eyewitness Reports
Said one eyewitness, "I heard the sound of a car's wheels
spinning and smoke coming out. I saw a Jeep Cherokee apparently as
if it was trying to get right through the doors into the terminal
building."
"There were flames coming out from underneath, then some men
appeared from in amongst the flames."
"The police ran over and the people started fighting with the
police. I then heard what sounded like an explosion."
Another eyewitness told BBC News 24 that a green Jeep was in the
middle of the doorway, burning.
"There was an Asian guy who was pulled out of the car by two
police officers, who[m] he was trying to fight off. They've got him
on the ground.
"The car didn't actually explode. There were a few pops and
bangs which presumably was the petrol."
Dr Rak Nandwani was at the airport building to pick up relatives
when he saw a plume of black smoke.
"The whole place has come to a standstill; the terminal building
has been evacuated. I have spoken to my relatives and they have
been moved to outside the building. They were told they could not
pick their baggage up from the baggage collection area."
"There must be about 50 police cars at the airport. Me and my
son, along with everyone else, have been moved to the car rental
area."
According to taxi driver Ian Crosby, "This was no accident. This
was a deliberate attack on Glasgow Airport."
The reaction of members of the public was not to help the men in
the car, but to restrain them, he told the BBC.
Two men, one of whom was reported to be badly burned, were seen
being led away in handcuffs.
Earlier in the day, Scotland Yard counterterrorism officers
briefed Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the new British leader
later chaired a meeting of top spies, police and senior officials
in COBRA, the government's emergency committee, Brown's office
reported.
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