Passengers on the London Underground have been injured due to an explosion on a Tube train earlier this morning.
The incident, now declared by police to be a terrorist incident, occurred on a District Line train at Parsons Green station in South-West London. The BBC have shared pictures of a white bucket on fire inside a carrier bag, suspected to be the device that caused the explosion.
Police and paramedics were called at 08:20 BST (07:20 GMT) on Friday to Parsons Green station in Fulham. Police broke the news it was a ‘terror incident’ at 10:18 (BST)
Witnesses have described seeing people suffer facial injuries from the blast, and people getting hurt in the subsequent stampede to escape the packed train carriage.
Emergency Services are still at Parsons Green tube station. We continue to ask Londoners to avoid the area. More info as and when verified
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 15, 2017
I’m in contact with @metpoliceuk and emergency services about the incident at Parsons Green. Follow @metpoliceuk for updates & advice.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) September 15, 2017
The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are investigating after the incident at #ParsonsGreen tube station is declared a terrorist incident
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 15, 2017
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for CT policing, has declared it a terrorist incident. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police attended the scene, along with colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service.
At present we are aware of a number of people who have suffered injuries. However, It is too early to confirm the cause of the fire, which will be subject to the investigation that is now underway by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command. The station remains cordoned off and we are advising people to avoid the area.
The police are yet to arrest anyone over the alleged incident. However, it is not yet known whether any follow-up attacks have been planned, or if this is part of a wider terrorist plot.
People are being advised to avoid the nearby area.