UNITED KINGDOM: RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON TELLS OF THE VARIOUS INJURIES SUFFFERED BY VICTIMS OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS
Record ID:
338380
UNITED KINGDOM: RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON TELLS OF THE VARIOUS INJURIES SUFFFERED BY VICTIMS OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON TELLS OF THE VARIOUS INJURIES SUFFFERED BY VICTIMS OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS
- Date: 8th July 2005
- Summary: (BN14) LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 8, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. CONSULTANT PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SLV SURGEON, SIMON WITHEY WALKING THROUGH HOSPITAL 0.06 2. SLV SURGEON TALKING TO REPORTER 0.12 3. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) CONSULTANT PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON, SIMON WITHEY SAYING: "They have been predominately shrapnel type injuries, so typical blast injuries where there has been soft tissue damage, fractures as a result of pieces of debris being blown into the tissue at high velocity. There have been cavitational injuries, then there have been the injuries that relate to major traumas, someone being blown out of a bus or blown against heavy objects in an underground train, there have been fractures, there have been head injuries, there have been chest injuries. Patients have had eye injuries from bits of debris being blown into their eyes and a lot of perforated ear drums, so a large combination of different things." 0.54 4. SLV SIMON WITHEY TALKING TO REUTERS CORRESPONDENT 1.00 5. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) CONSULTANT PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON, SIMON WITHEY SAYING: "We have predominately looked after the bus which was in Tavistock Square and we have looked after patients from kings Cross." 1.07 6. CUTAWAY GLASSES ON SURGICAL HAT 1.14 7. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) CONSULTANT PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEON, SIMON WITHEY SAYING: "This hospital (University College Hospital) has been going for under a month, and I think we all anticipated there would be a lot of problems, I was doing an Outpatient Clinic at the Royal Free (Hospital) at the time, all of my patients were very happy once they were told what was going on to forget the clinic and come back another day. The full team of five consultants and seven or eight junior surgeons was mobilized within an hour, people dropped what they were doing, finished operations and all focused on the two sites. I arrived at the accident and emergency department here (University College Hospital), already there were probably 20 other surgeons, about 30 anaesthetists, many , many nurses, junior staff. The place was ready for casualties before the first casualties started arriving." 2.07 8. WIDE OF SIMON WITHEY WALKING AWAY 2.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA5E70LB4TKPT7WFD7CLK3OZUX8
- Story Text: Reconstructive surgeon tells of wide variety of
injuries suffered by blast victims
A day after four bombs tore through three
underground trains and a double-decker bus in London,
hospital emergency staff start to describe the nature of
the injuries from the deadly blasts.
Simon Withey, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeon described on Friday (July 8) how the powerful
explosions had caused a large combination of injuries,
leaving victims with major traumas caused from shrapnel
aswell as the blast wave.
"They have been predominately shrapnel type injuries,
so typical blast injuries where there has been soft tissue
damage, fractures as a result of pieces of debris being
blown into the tissue at high velocity. There have been
cavitational injuries, then there have been the injuries
that relate to major traumas, someone being blown out of a
bus or blown against heavy objects in an underground train,
there have been fractures, there have been head injuries,
there have been chest injuries. Patients have had eye
injuries from bits of debris being blown into their eyes
and a lot of perforated ear drums, so a large combination of different
things," Mr Withey said.
The multiple explosions occurred at rush hour on
Thursday, leaving approximately 50 dead and 700 injured.
Hospital emergency plans were quickly put into place to
deal with such incidents.
"We have predominately looked after the bus which was
in Tavistock Square and we have looked after patients form
kings Cross," Mr Withey told Reuters.
"This hospital (University College Hospital) has been
going for under a month, and I think we all anticipated
there would be a lot of problems, I was doing an Outpatient
Clinic at the Royal Free (Hospital) at the time, all of my
patients were very happy once they were told what was going
on to forget the clinic and come back another day. The full
team of five consultants and seven or eight junior surgeons
was mobilized within an hour, people dropped what they were
doing, finished operations and all focused on the two
sites. I arrived at the Accident and Emergency Department
here (University College Hospital), already there were
probably 20 other surgeons, about 30 anaesthetists, many
many nurses, junior staff. The place was ready for
casualties before the first casualties started arriving,"
he added.
The attacks -- which ministers said bore the
hallmarks of the Islamic militant al Qaeda network -- were
London's deadliest in peacetime and disrupted a summit of
the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised
countries in Scotland.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair briefly left the
summit to attend a crisis meeting in London on Thursday but
vowed not to let the attacks derail the meeting and
announced on Friday that world leaders had agreed to more
than double aid for Africa.
Police chief Ian Blair said more than 50 people were
killed in the blasts and 700 wounded, with 22 still
critical.
The bomb that tore off the roof of a bus killed 13
people, he added, compared to an initial death toll of two
on the bus.
He said people of many countries had been caught up in
the blast, including Australia, China, Poland, Portugal and
Sierra Leone.
Distraught relatives searched for missing loved-ones
around London hospitals, many handing out leaflets
appealing for information.
Police chief Blair said they did not suspect suicide
bombers. He said more than one person carried out the
attacks and those responsible were either at large or dead.
Police have made no arrests yet.
Investigators were examining a claim of responsibility
from the "Secret Group of al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe" which
said the blasts were punishment for Britain's involvement
in Iraq. The group also warned Italy and Denmark to
withdraw their troops.
The blasts battered financial markets on Thursday, but
oil prices recovered to head back towards record highs near
$62 on Friday as analysts said the attacks were expected to
have a limited impact on the global economy and oil demand.
British shares also recouped their losses, but sterling
slid further.
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