N.Z. man hurt in bomb blast

Press, 27 April 1984, Page 7

N.Z. man hurt in bomb blast

NZPA staff correspondent London A New Zealander, John Blundell, is recovering in hospital in London after being seriously injured in the Good Friday (local time) bomb explosion at Heathrow Airport. Mr Blundell, aged 34, a passenger handling agent for Air France, was the most badly hurt victim. The bomb, which exploded in the lost luggage area of the crowded first floor of Terminal Two, injured 26 people and sent Easter holidauy-makers scattering in terror. Mr Blundell, who was born in Lower Hutt and educated at Scots College, is a member of the wellknown Wellington Blundell family and related to a former Governor-General, Sir Denis Blundell. His mother, Mrs Anne Blundell, a widow, lives in Kelburn. Mr Blundell, who was burned over 20 per cent of his body in the blast, is in intensive care in the burns unit at Mount Vernon Hos-

pital in West London. “At the moment I think you could say his condition is stable,” his wife, Mrs Sandra Blundell, told NZPA, “He is conscious and able to carry on a conversation and has been able to eat a bit.” Doctors did exploratory surgery on Monday and removed bomb fragments from Mr Blundell’s body for forensic examination. Other fragments are still imbedded. Mr Blundell was burned all down his right side and suffered flash bums on the face. Bones in his foot were shattered. Mr Blundell, who has been in Britain for 10 years after working for the Government Tourist Office in Wellington, was translating for two French-speaking Syrian passengers from a British Airways flight when the bomb went off. Mr Blundell was standing closest to the bag containing the bomb which the police are investigating as a possible link with Libyan terrorists.