'Extraordinary horror' as teams toil underground

LONDON - Teams of forensic officers recovering bodies left among the wreckage on the Piccadilly line can only work in two-hour shifts because of the intense heat and fumes.

Sergeant Gary Locker, who is co-ordinating the operation, described how officers had to carry bodies over their shoulders to bring them from the site of the explosion to the Russell Square Tube station, 600m away.

In total 21 bodies have been recovered from mangled remains of the carriage, in a job described as one of "extraordinary horror".

At least 49 people are feared to be dead and many hundreds more were seriously injured in Thursday's four bomb blasts.

Last night, investigators made their first positive identification. The victim was Susan Levy, 53, a mother of two from Hertfordshire in England. She is believed to have been travelling on the Piccadilly line train which exploded between Russell Square and King's Cross.

Forensic experts say it could take weeks to put names to all the victims.

Mr Locker, who is in charge of the recovery for major disasters, said: "The mantra is search, find and photograph."

Senior officers have said the work is incredibly hard because of the heat, rats, and risk of asbestos and dust.

"Because of the heat and conditions they can only work there for two hours at a time."

The two-strong teams of recovery officers travel to the blast site on a form of motorised trolley that has been specially installed.

They are dressed in protective suits, boots, gloves, hard hats and masks. The teams have to communicate with their colleagues at the station by radio.

Their tasks are to remove bodies and search for any forensic evidence, such as bomb fragments.

Cutting equipment is used to free any bodies trapped in the twisted remains of the carriage.

"Bodies sometimes have to be carried on the officers' shoulders and placed in bags," said Mr Locker.

Once the recovery teams have completed their shift they go to a decontamination cabin where their suits are washed down.

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Trotter, of the British Transport Police, said rescue teams were continuing to work long hours in difficult, hot conditions.

"A number of bodies have been recovered from the train and taken to the mortuary, but they are continuing to work down the train looking for any other bodies trapped underneath.

"This is a slow, painstaking and methodical task. They are working their way towards the back of the train, where they're going to continue to search for bodies and forensic material."

Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, described the task as "a very long job, and a job of extraordinary horror".

Prime Minister Helen Clark said it was impossible to rule out that more New Zealanders might be missing or killed after the bomb attacks.

Officials were still receiving inquiries from people wishing to check on the whereabouts of family and friends, she said.

While only one New Zealand woman was confirmed missing so far, there could be more bad news to come.

"We simply don't know whether other names will all be cleared and so we can't say we are out of the woods until the full body discovery process by the British Government has run its course," said Helen Clark.

The missing 26-year-old New Zealand woman has not been named. Her parents flew to Britain at the weekend holding grave fears for her safety.

In London, counsellors are helping distraught families while delicately teasing information from them to identify bodies recovered from the scenes of the bomb blasts.

At a 24-hour assistance centre, specially trained officers helped people still searching for their loved ones and at Heathrow Airport officers waited for families flying in from overseas.

Some officers cared for people at city morgues and others were sent to homes to handle the sensitive and time-consuming task of standing by those who have almost certainly lost a family member. Samples of fingerprints and DNA, including from toothbrushes and hair brushes, are being discreetly taken to help with identification.

With no bodies identified, families are in anguish.

"I just don't know what to do. I'm going crazy," said Gous Ali, whose girlfriend, Neetu Jain, has vanished since boarding a downtown bus to go to work.

"It is very harrowing," said Pawel Iskrzynski, whose sister Ania Brandt also disappeared.

"The police have just been to see me to take a sample of my DNA."

"I hope it is to prove that Ania is still alive and lying injured in hospital," he said.

"It's the wait that is the worst," said the "emotionally drained" sister of missing hair stylist Phil Beer. "There is nothing we can do."

According to London police spokesman Brian Paddick, dozens of expert "liaison officers" have been sent to visit relatives and friends.

At the Queen Mother Leisure Centre, about 100 police and staff, supported by helpers from the British Red Cross, Salvation Army and several local authorities, were at work.

- NZPA, Agencies