The Hindu : Front Page : Flaming jeep driven into Glasgow airport

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Sunday, Jul 01, 2007
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Flaming jeep driven into Glasgow airport

Hasan Suroor

The vehicle had two ‘Asian’ occupants

LONDON: Scotland’s Glasgow international airport was plunged into panic and chaos on Saturday when a blazing Cherokee jeep with two “Asian” occupants was driven into the terminal building at high speed.

Fortunately, the jeep failed to break through the glassfront or there could have been huge casualties as the airport was crowded with hundreds of passengers, mostly holidaymakers. It was not immediately known whether anyone was injured. Two men, believed to be the occupants of the jeep, were arrested. The airport has been evacuated and all flights suspended.

The incident took place a little after 3.15 p.m. even as a manhunt was on for those behind the two “car bombs” found in London on Friday. Police were reported as saying that they were treating it as a terrorist incident not necessarily linked to the London bombs.

Eyewitness accounts

Eyewitnesses said there were two Asian men in the jeep, one of whom was badly injured and taken to hospital. His whole body was “on fire,” they said. And he reportedly tried to resist as police officers pulled him out of the vehicle. One eyewitness told the BBC, “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 the flames. The po lice ran over and the men started fighting with the police. I then heard what sounded like an explosion.”

Chaotic scenes

There were chaotic scenes as people tried to make sense of what happened. One passenger said there was “panic” and a “lot of anger.”

Security across Scotland was stepped up, and in London Prime Minister Gordon Brown planned to hold a meeting of the Government’s emergency unit, Cobra.

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