Date:   8/23/2005 9:29:48 AM ( 19 y ago)
Hits:   613
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=525064

Lucky to be alive

In an exclusive interview with the Editor of The Muslim News, Ahmed J Versi, Mustafa Khan, one of the many Muslims injured in the 7/7 terrorist attacks, discusses his experience on the fatal day.

The meeting took place at his home on July 9 the day as he was discharged from hospital, in north London, and his hands were still bandaged. He was joined by his friends and parents during the interview.

23 year-old Mustafa normally travels by Central Line to Bond Street station to get to work. However, on that fateful day, the accountant was sent to Oxford for auditing and so his route changed. Instead he took the Circle Line underground train to Paddington from Kings Cross on his way to Oxford. He missed a train at Kings Cross and was getting late. He got on to the train at 8.30 ish (he had to catch the 8.52 train at Paddington for Oxford).
At Edgware Road Station, said Mustafa, the train was delayed for a few minutes. As the train left the station and entered the tunnel, Mustafa saw a flash at the far end (left) door and there was a blackout.
Relating his near death experience Mustafa said: “I was standing and suddenly there was a blast, I fell down.” Mustafa said as he fell, he began to continuously recite the kalimah (or shahadah - affirmation of being a Muslim) because “ I didn’t know if I would get out alive.”
“The floor was hot. The manhole on the floor had melted due to the heat and my hands went through the hole. I saw the tracks moving, as the train was still in motion. My instant reaction was to get up. I got hold of the rail and sat on a seat on my right. The carriage was full of smoke. I looked towards where the explosion took place and saw a fireball coming towards me. I put my hands on my face. My hands began burning. Suddenly, the train stopped.”
He then noticed that there was another train stationed adjacent to his. Passengers from the other train broke their windows and scrambled to Mustafa’s train by breaking the windows and came to their help. They were given water to drink. As he was not badly injured, Mustafa looked after those who were conscious by giving them water, calmed them down and asked them if they needed any help.
On his left hand side where the bomb had exploded, was a big hole with bodies strewn inside and around it.
After about 5 to 10 minutes, “underground people came to help from the far door on my right and we ran with them out onto the platform.”
Mustafa believes that the bomb was timed to explode far into the tunnel as “we were delayed at Edgware Road Station.”
Mustafa left the station and sat on the pavement on Edgware Road. He sat with four other commuters. Passers-by went to calm them and offered assistance. “People were very helpful,” said Mustafa. Police gave them wet towels for their burns. Mustafa sustained burns in his outer hands, palms and face. Mustafa couldn’t telephone his cousin as the networks were down. Eventually, he managed to get through and asked him to call his office to tell them he was alright. “I talked with him with difficulty as my face was burnt and my face and throat were swollen.”
He was there for about one and a half hours and was taken into Marks & Spencers for about half an hour. Mustafa was then taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. “We were well treated. Doctors were checking up on me continuously. The nurses and other medical staff were excellent.”
Mustafa had superficial burns but “it was very painful.” However, he was still transferred the next day to the burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, were he was discharged on July 9.
When he reached home, he looked at the mirror and saw his face for the first time since the bombing. “ I said ‘oh my God’ as my face was swollen and had burn marks and a lot of my hair was burnt.” His anxiety was understandable as he was getting married in September. His fiancé is in Pakistan.

Mustafa lives alone in London. His parents and grandmother live Kuwait. His father, Dr Mohammed Saeed Khan, 55, who is a Consultant Surgeon at Al Adnan Hospital in Kuwait, said they saw the news of bombings on TV and telephoned Mustafa to see if he was safe. Mustafa’s grandmother, Jamshed Begum recognised him on TV in Kuwait even though his face was covered with wet cloth. “We tried to call him but we couldn’t get through. But after sometime we succeeded. However, we didn’t recognise the voice on the phone. I was worried. But soon Mustafa came on line and told us he was alright. We were all relieved. But we were stunned that he was one of the victims. We thank Allah that He has given us our son again. We are also grateful that he has no major injuries. ” Dr Khan and his wife, Afsha, took the first available flight to London and arrived the next day early morning and went straight to the hospital. They praised the medical staff at the hospital as being “very helpful and supportive and went out of their way to help our son.” They were present when the Prince of Wales went to see the patients.

Afsha said she “couldn’t believe this could have happened.” She knew her son’s movement that day as she rings him daily and thought he was on his way to Oxford. She didn’t realise he was late for his train. “When I found out he was on the train, my mind went blank.” She was worried about him but was relieved when they managed to talk to him on the phone. “Now I feel very happy and glad that he is safe and alive.”

Mustafa said he felt very lucky to be alive but was “very sad” about those who had died. He condemned the perpetrators of the crime. “They don’t have any regard to humanity. Their religion is terror and against all religions and people.”



 

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