NZ woman's parents fly in as fears grow

The death toll from the bomb attack on Londoners could approach 80 and include a New Zealand woman whose devastated parents arrived in London yesterday to wait for news.

The 26-year-old woman, who has not been named by officials, was believed to have been travelling to work on the underground, seated in the carriage that has become the focal point of recovery efforts deep beneath the earth.

Bodies still lie in the train at what has been dubbed London's Underground Zero. The wreckage of the train ripped apart in the deadliest of the four bomb blasts is buried 30 metres beneath the ground between Kings Cross and Russell Square stations in north London, with up to 20 bodies still on board.

There are 49 people confirmed dead in the co-ordinated, rush hour attacks on three Tube trains and a bus but police are unable to give a final death toll until all remains are retrieved.

Police in the city are pursuing more than 1000 missing persons' inquiries, and have logged more than 100,000 calls to their Casualty Bureau's phone lines.

The missing New Zealand woman, who has dual Irish-New Zealand citizenship and travelled on an Irish passport, usually commuted to work on the Piccadilly line to Russell Square. Foreign Affairs said it could be some days before she could be identified.

It is understood she has been living in London for several years. Her parents, alerted by their daughter's flatmates, arrived in London soon after 10 last night.

The New Zealand High Commission in London was ready to assist the couple in their search by putting them in touch with specialist services responding to the bombings. A staff member escorted them from Heathrow Airport last night and they were to be assigned a Metropolitan Police family liaison officer.

The missing woman is the sole New Zealander for whom the Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds serious concern.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff said he had told the woman's family that the Government would provide any assistance and help they requested. This offer of assistance would also apply to any other New Zealand victims of the blasts.

Another New Zealander, 39-year-old John Steadman, has been in search of his wife's brother, Philip Russell, 29.

He said at the weekend that his hopes of finding his brother-in-law alive were fading.

Mr Steadman rode a bicycle through London on Friday so he could get to all the hospitals to find news. He admitted there was little more he could do.

"My wife is going today to provide DNA. They are now suggesting that they have identified all the people who are in hospital.

Mr Steadman's frantic search through London hospitals on Friday came up empty.

"He did a brilliant job but at the end of the day, we didn't find him," said John's wife, Caroline, from London last night. "We've had no more news and are now waiting for police who are identifying bodies."

She believed her brother was on the double-decker bus at Tavistock Square when a bomb blew off the top deck.

"He rang work and said there had been an incident and he was going to hop on a bus and get to work. Nobody has heard from him since.

"There are still unidentified people in hospital, but the likelihood of one of those being Philip is really, really slim."

A total of 65 victims of the bomb attacks remained in London hospitals yesterday.

No arrests have yet been made by police hunting those behind the bombings.

Moroccan Mohammed al-Qarbouzy, named in British and international media as a suspect, appeared on Al Jazeera to declare his innocence and deny he is on the run.

Police said they were looking for no specific individuals and that the bombs were made of high explosive, not home-made materials.

They have warned the bombers could strike again and there were several security scares in Britain on Saturday.

On Saturday night, police evacuated the central entertainment district of England's second city, Birmingham, and carried out a controlled explosion on a bus.

But they stressed the security alert was not connected to last Thursday's bomb attacks.

Three Islamist groups have claimed responsibility for the blasts, which Government ministers said bore the hallmarks of the Islamic militant al Qaeda network which was behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Police have now said the three bombs on the trains exploded almost simultaneously, and like the bus bomb, were more likely triggered by timing devices than suicide bombers.

"All three bombs on the London Underground system actually exploded within seconds of each other at around 8.50 in the morning," Scotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick said.

The fourth bomb exploded on a bus near Euston railway station at 9.47am.

- STAFF REPORTERS, AGENCIES