Greek is key witness in blasts
A Greek man yesterday emerged as one of the key witnesses in Thursday’s terrorist attacks in London after it was revealed that he had been driving the bus which was ripped apart by one of the bombs, killing at least 13 passengers. Giorgos Psaradakis, 47, dramatically survived the explosion on the number 30 bus as it was passing Tavistock Square in central London. He escaped with minor injuries and was discharged from hospital after a few hours. «I am just relieved to be here,» the AP news agency quoted him as saying, «Many other people have not been so fortunate. I feel for the people who have perished and for their families,» said Psaradakis, originally from Hania in Crete. His bus had been diverted because of the earlier explosions on underground trains and Psaradakis said that this led to a stream of passengers boarding the bus. «There were many people who were trying to get on the bus at once,» he said, «Suddenly there was a bang, then carnage. Everything seemed to happen behind me.» Meanwhile, the Athens News Agency reported details about conversations that he had with his family in Greece in the aftermath of the bombing. «He told me that he was fine. He said that two passengers were killed and that a girl died in his arms,» said Yiannis Paterakis, his uncle. «Giorgos told me that he had a saint looking out for him,» said his aunt Argyroula. Meanwhile, it also emerged that two Cypriots were injured in the blasts. Phillipos Patsalos, a 53-year-old university professor, was in a critical condition after losing one of his legs in the bombings, while 19-year-old Daniella Kolia was in a stable condition in hospital. The death toll in the attacks is likely to exceed 50 people, the Metropolitan Police in London said.
