Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

East London Bombing: Countdown to Blast

Warwick Mansell
Sunday 25 April 1999 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

5.45pm: A man notices a black Reebok sports bag containing what appears to be an explosive device at the junction of Hanbury Street and Brick Lane, just yards from the London Jamme Masjid mosque. He carries the bag to a police station. Finding it shut he returns to his car, a Ford Sierra, puts the bomb in the boot and goes to call the police.

5.57pm: The bomb explodes, blowing the Sierra into the air and leaving it a wreck of twisted metal. A Volvo estate parked next to it is set ablaze, Cafe Naz catches fire, windows are blown out and several people are knocked to the ground by shrapnel.

6.05pm: Firefighters arrive and police cordon off the area.

6.15pm: Six people are admitted to the Royal London Hospital with minor injuries.

7.30pm: Tony Blair, in Washington for Nato's 50th anniversary,condemns the attack as "outrageous".

8pm: Someone claiming to be from the neo-Nazi group Combat 18 claims responsibility for the blast in a 999 phone call.

9pm: Police say they are linking the bombing with the Brixton explosion.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in