Breaking News: Crash & Explosion at Scotland Airport

Posted on June 30, 2007

Update: I can now confirm this was a deliberate attack. The next step is finding out who exactly is behind this.

Breaking news, with mixed reports on whether this was an accidental car crash or an intentional crash into the building. Initial reports say the fire is outside of the building, and that it did not penetrate the airport. The man inside the car “scuffled with police” according to a witness. From the BBC:

A car on fire has been driven at the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport before exploding, police have confirmed.
Eyewitnesses have described a Jeep Cherokee being driven at speed towards the building with flames coming out from underneath.

They have also described seeing two Asian men, one of whom was on fire, who had been in the car.

The airport has been evacuated and all flights suspended.

One eyewitness said: “I heard the sound of a car’s wheels spinning and smoke 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.”

Update: As of right now, there are conflicting reports on whether this was an accident outside of the building which resulted in a car hitting the building, or whether the vehicle rammed the terminal directly. All witnesses are currently saying the vehicle was speeding, which hints at intent. At least two asian men, one of which caught on fire, and they scuffled with those who wanted to help them. A former Scotland Yard Detective is suggesting this was an intentional attack from someone linked to the failed bombings yesterday. Sky News is reporting a man taking a gas cylinder from the car. More from the BBC:

“The car didn’t actually explode. There were a few pops and bangs which presumably was the petrol.”

Taxi driver Ian Crosby said: “This was no accident. This was a deliberate attack on Glasgow Airport.”

Update2: Anywhere between 2 and 4 men have been arrested, and an eyewitness is saying one tried to take off into the terminal. Another witness is saying they were attempting to throw gas canisters.

More information is now being reported, calling them terrorists, from Little Green Footballs. Sky News is now reporting injuries, and an LGF reader reported the following:

Eyewitness on Sky TV: Car was full of gas cans. Driver and passenger were throwing gasoline all around the scen after they crashed the SUV into the terminal door. After ramming an airport gate, the guy charged the terminal with flames beginning to burst from the vehicle, angling it in order to best ram through the glass terminal door and kill passengers inside. One man from the vehicle burst into flames. Amidst the fire and chaos, the terrorists were wrestled to the ground by taxi drivers and passengers.

Update3: Apparently, the Blackpool Airport and the hospital where one of the arrested terrorists was taken have been evacuated. No word yet on the reason for the hospital evacuation. I can now confirm there were 2 terrorists, and we’re awaiting statements from Chertoff on what we’re doing here in the U.S.

Update4: Via FOX News Channel, a witness says a man was dragged away while screaming “Allah, Allah.” Chalk this one up to the Islamofascists.

» Filed Under Illegal Activities, News, War On Terror

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Comments

9 Responses to “Breaking News: Crash & Explosion at Scotland Airport”

Bobby on June 30th, 2007 11:29 am

Putting “asian” in bold… God, the hilarity on this site never ends. Hooray for latent racism!
GM Roper on June 30th, 2007 11:44 am

Bobby, you are so full of it. I know Justin very well and the reason the word Asian was in bold typeface was to differentiate the word from the expected “middle eastern.” Given the times, Middle Eastern would have been expected. Suggest you grow up and quit looking for reasons to denigrate others.
Bobby on June 30th, 2007 11:51 am

Too bad for me and the other 6 billion people who don’t know Justin. Whatever his personal reason for the boldification, that doesn’t stop it from being hilarious.

And don’t lecture me on denigration. That’s all this site is about!
Cao on June 30th, 2007 12:02 pm

Aw, GM, that would eliminate their entire reason to exist.
Gribbit on June 30th, 2007 12:38 pm

Let us not forget, that to Brits “Asians” are anyone from the continent of Asia. We here in the US have a habit of thinking Asians are those people from the far East. Keep in mind that Saudi, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India, and the others are all on the Asian Continent.

Justin put it in bold because that is what the news report is saying. The classification of peoples as Asian is a broad term. Technically, a Mexican is an American because he/she is from the North American Continent. The same could be said of a Brazilian.

We are dealing with news reports from Europe and to classify the use of a quoted word being stressed in active news reports shouldn’t be seen as racism in any form. Bobby is an obvious troll and if it were up to me his comment would be gone. My reason? No link no voice.
343 Guilty Spark on June 30th, 2007 1:32 pm

They are asians! Boldface asians! Beware of the asians! In bold!

Larry C. Johnson:

There is smoke and fire. In fact, a car is on fire. It must be Al Qaeda. Only Al Qaeda knows how to set themselves on fire inside a car. Please. Flee to the hills (leave you doors unlocked). Oh the humanity!

UPDATE:

As events unfold I’m simply asking that folks take a big deep breath and try to keep things in perspective. Are there jihadist extremists in the world who are willing to kill innocents? Absolutely. Are they amenable to negotiation? No. I am not in the, “have you hugged a terrorist today” camp. However, we need to stop equating their hatred with actual capability.
Bobby on June 30th, 2007 2:56 pm

Also: Hooray for that tasteful neologism “Islamofascists.” Hooray for Ann Coulter! Hooray for Americans and no one else!
political forums on July 2nd, 2007 12:51 am

I wonder if the British have their own version of the Patriot Act. The British have done a great job at preventing this attack and the planned liquid explosives attack. This is a very serious matter and we may have to pass additional laws to simultaneously monitor suspicious individuals and also to have some form of accountability and oversight for those new government powers.
camanintx on July 2nd, 2007 3:37 pm

If you think this plot was thwarted by British Intelligence or some form of domestic surveillance, you would be sorely mistaken.

There had been no prior intelligence of planned attacks from the terror organization, a British government official told The Associated Press earlier Friday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

The events unfolded when police were called to Haymarket, south of Piccadilly Circus, after a man fell at the nightclub Tiger Tiger, injuring his head, prompting a call for an ambulance around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

When crews arrived, they noticed smoke coming from a green Mercedes parked in front of a club, Clarke said.

he announcement of the second bomb came about 20 hours later, after police had closed off a nearby major street along Hyde Park for several hours to investigate a suspicious blue Mercedes. That car had been towed across town to an impound lot; the attendants there, on the alert after news of the first foiled car bombing, smelled gasoline and alerted authorities.

Just remember what Benjamin Franklin had to say about liberty and security.