1993 Bishopsgate bombing
The Bishopsgate bombing occurred on 24 April 1993, when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a powerful truck bomb on Bishopsgate, a major thoroughfare in London's financial district, the City of London. Telephoned warnings were sent about an hour beforehand, but a news photographer was killed in the blast and 44 people were injured, with fatalities minimised due to it occurring on a Saturday. The blast destroyed the nearby St Ethelburga's church and wrecked Liverpool Street station and the NatWest Tower.
| 1993 Bishopsgate bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Troubles | |
Wormwood Street pictured in the aftermath of the bombing which occurred on nearby Bishopsgate | |
| Location | Bishopsgate, London, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′56″N 0°04′56″W |
| Date | 24 April 1993 10:27 am (GMT) |
| Target | London's primary financial district |
Attack type | Truck bomb |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 44 |
| Perpetrators | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
As a result of the bombing, which happened just over a year after the bombing of the nearby Baltic Exchange, a "ring of steel" was implemented to protect the City, and many firms introduced disaster recovery plans in case of further attacks or similar disasters. £350 million (equivalent to £590 million in 2019) was spent on repairing damage. In 1994 detectives believed they knew the identities of the IRA bombers, but lacked sufficient evidence to arrest them.