At least 22 people were injured after a bomb detonated on a packed London Underground train during the monring rush hour on Friday in what police are treating as a “terrorist incident”. Witnesses reported seeing passengers covered in blood and with facial burns and hair coming off at Parsons Green station in west London after the explosion on the train.
“At 8:20 this morning at Parsons Green station there was an explosion on a Tube train. We now assess that this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device,” police counter-terror chief Mark Rowley said. Twitter user @Rrigs, who posted pictures of a white bucket smouldering on the train, said: “Explosion on Parsons Green District Line train. Fireball flew down carriage and we just jumped out open door”. The bucket looked like the type used by builders and there appeared to be cables coming out of it. According to Sky News, investigators suspect the device did not fully detonate.
The National Health Service said 18 people were taken by ambulance to hospital, while four others made their own way to hospitals. Rowley said most of the people taken to hospital were being treated for “flash burns”. The MI5 intelligence service is assisting investigators. Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts were with the injured and will be chairing an emergency cabinet meeting later in the day.
