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![]() Saturday, April 17, 1999 Published at 23:26 GMT 00:26 UK ![]() ![]() UK ![]() Dozens hurt in London blast ![]() The bomb went off close to an Iceland store ![]() An explosion outside a busy supermarket in Brixton, south London, has injured at 45 people. Emergency services said at least four of the casualties - including a one-year-old boy - were "seriously hurt" and are being kept in overnight.
"Our sympathies go out to those injured and their families and to the family of the injured police officer," he said. Scotland Yard said there was no warning given before the blast at 1730 BST outside an Iceland supermarket.
Reports of a second device outside a Mothercare store proved untrue, although the area was cleared as a precaution. A police helicopter and explosives officers were called to the scene, which remains sealed off as forensic experts trawl the site for clues. 'Bomb in the bag' A market trader moved the bag containing the device just seconds before it went off.
The 42-year-old said he saw a square device with Sellotape and nails and used his mobile phone to call the police. He added: "I moved it to stop women and kids getting hurt. Then it went off. I was blown across the road and a couple of nails lodged in my leg and I was hit by concrete and glass which fell on me from the Iceland sign."
"I was walking back to my flat when I heard a big bang and a massive explosion. It was quite horrifying, because the whole floor shook.''
One of the 12 patients at St Thomas's, a 23-month-old boy, was undergoing a scan after a nail was embedded in his skull.
Brixton-based black rights campaigner Lee Jasper said he suspected the bomb may have been the work of a racially-motivated far-right group. Brixton has a high concentration of ethnic minority residents and is known as a centre of black culture in London. Mr Jasper said: "What we could potentially be witnessing is a backlash against the huge amount of coverage given to the Stephen Lawrence case."
Concert cancelled
Afterwards trolleys and baskets could be seen scattered along aisles of the Iceland store. But outside the site of the explosion remained largely intact. Shop windows, market stalls and a bus shelter showed no major signs of damage - the only visible evidence of the drama was a white Transit van with one of its rear doors partly blown off. A spokeswoman for London Transport said Brixton Underground station had been closed and bus services were diverted as the area was cordoned off. A concert by dance act Fatboy Slim was cancelled by police. It was due to take place in Brixton Academy, with 4,000 people attending.
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