New Delhi:
An explosion on a London Metro train at Parsons Green underground station injured several people and emergency services were attending people, reported UK Media.
The incident occurred during rush hour on a District Line Tube train as it pulled into Parsons Green station.
British security services have identified a suspect involved in the bombing of a busy commuter train in west London on Friday with the help of surveillance footage, Sky News reported.Â
Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism squad, SO15, arrived at the scene at Parsons Green Tube station and took the lead in the investigation from the British Transport Police.
UK police said London's Parsons Green tube explosion is being treated as terrorism.
“Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, has declared it a terrorist incident,†the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
“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,†the statement said.
“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,†it said.
Officers and ambulance staff were present on the spot following reports of the blast. A hazardous material team has also been dispatched to the scene.
"We have sent multiple resources to the scene including single responders in cars, ambulance crews, incident response officers and our hazardous area response team," the London Ambulance Service said on Twitter.
British police said they are aware of the incident and attending the people at Parsons Green underground station in west London
The IED that exploded earlier this morning at #ParsonsGreen station - district line carriage #London #underground pic.twitter.com/EZ1F2H6OdP
— Leonidas ToEat ♎ (@Lchristou) September 15, 2017
According to the UK media reports, a container exploded on a London Tube train at Parsons Green station. Several people suffered facial injuries in the accident.
— Transport for London (@TfL) September 15, 2017
There were also reports of a stampede after the blast and some people were also injured in the blast. A woman at London's Parsons Green underground train station was reportedly injured in post blast stampede.
People were falling over themselves as they tried to get out of Parsons Green station after the blast.
Downing Street said Prime Minister Theresa May was “receiving regular updates†on the situation.
Some of the injuries are believed to be related to the direct impact of the explosion involving a large white plastic bucket in a supermarket plastic bag in one of the carriages. Images of the bucket with wires sticking out have emerged on social media.
While the exact nature of the explosion is not yet known, Metropolitan Police bomb squads and fire crews remained at the scene including London Ambulance’s Hazardous Response Units.
“We have sent multiple resources to the scene including single responders in cars, ambulance crews, incident response officers and our hazardous area response team, with the first of our medics arriving in under five minutes,†the London Ambulance said.
“Our initial priority is to assess the level and nature of injuries,†it said.
BREAKING: Reports of an explosion on London underground train in west London pic.twitter.com/DPVIvr68pR
— Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) September 15, 2017
With PTI inputs
