London's Oval Station Attacked

1:10am UK, Friday July 22, 2005

At Oval Station, there were reports of a man dumping a rucksack in a carriage and then fleeing as the doors closed.

A witness told Sky News he heard a sound "like Champagne popping" then passengers erupting in panic.

Public were evacuated

"As far as I know from what a lady at the top of the escalator was saying, someone came into the carriage, dumped the bag and ran out.

"Some people tried to stop him but he ran out."

He said: "I was in the carriage next to the one where the bag was.

"All of a sudden there was a popping, it sounded like Champagne popping. I didn't think anything of it at the time.

"But then I heard a lot of shouting from the next door carriage.

"People started saying 'smoke, smoke'. One of the train guys came through and said 'Get off the train, we're evacuating, everyone out'.

"As we were walking past the carriage we could see the bag sitting on the chair.

"It was a big, black rucksack, like the backpack-type ones that you get.

"When they got upstairs, people were really distressed, one lady was crying."

Another man told Sky he saw a man being chased out of Oval station.

The witness said: "I was going into the station and it was 11.35am.

"Then suddenly I saw a guy coming from the stairs. He was running and some people were running after him.

"I wanted to catch him but I was carrying two heavy bags.

"He said, 'What's wrong with these people?'

"He was a skinny Asian and young, about 19. I did not see him carrying anything."