In a city of more than a few survivors, Michael Hemmings yesterday described himself as one of the luckiest men alive, writes Lynne O'Donnell in London
Standing outside the Royal London Hospital, his right eye swathed in a thick white bandage, the right side of his face and neck burned and lacerated, he described himself as "an exceptionally lucky man." Mr Hemmings was on the first London Underground train targeted in the co-ordinated terrorist attacks.
Having changed his normal weekday travel plans, he was sitting on a packed train taking him from Liverpool Street, among London's biggest and busiest stations, towards Aldgate, less than a kilometre away.
At 8.51am as the first of four deadly explosions was detonated across an arc of London from east to west, Mr Hemmings saw a flash of yellow light and was showered with glass as the windows of his carriage imploded. Seven people were killed in that explosion.
"I wanted to get into the carriage where the explosion happened, but it was busy so I got into another carriage," he said.
"The bomb must have been within 10 feet of me, but it was in the next carriage . . . I thought I wasn't going to get out of it. It was so dark. I touched my hand to my face and I felt the blood and I knew it wasn't all over [for me] yet."
In the darkness that followed the blast, there was silence, he said. "Then the emergency lights came on and there was panic." Many people around him began screaming, he said. Others attempted to calm them down while they waited for help.
After what witnesses said was a lapse of up to 25 minutes, help arrived and passengers were escorted along the tracks back to Liverpool Street or forward to Aldgate station.
Ambulances and police cars swept in and out of both stations, which were rapidly cordoned off by police, throughout the day as the rescue effort continued.
Mr Hemmings was one of dozens of people ferried to the Royal London Hospital aboard a double-decker bus. The hospital treated around 200 people, including 10 seriously injured and six who were described as critical.
Mr Hemmings said: "Above ground there was general shock among the emergency services. I was angry at first at the type of people who had done this. I was shocked that emergency services didn't get there faster. I spoke to them about that, and they said there were concerns about another bomb."
Across London, hospitals treated hundreds of people. Andy Trotter, of London Transport Police, said patients were treated for chest and blast injuries and broken bones. Some had limbs amputated. More than 300 were treated for minor injuries.
The close proximity of medical professionals to the carnage helped save lives, said British Medical Association chairman Dr Peter Holden, who was among 14 doctors and a nurse who emerged from their blood-spattered building in Tavistock Place to use skills that haven't been needed since the height of the IRA's terrorist campaign.
"Many of these doctors had not used these skills for upwards of 20 years," said Dr Holden.
"But it is amazing what the human body and mind can do when the skills are remembered."