Police have shut down London Bridge after a van drove onto the sidewalk and struck pedestrians
Something scary is going on in the U.K. right now. London Metropolitan Police shut down London Bridge Saturday evening in both directions after a van drove onto the sidewalk and struck several pedestrians; according to a New York Times report, at least one person is dead, likely more.
Also, at nearby Borough Market in London, stabbings and shots fired have been reported, and another stabbing incident took place in the city’s Vauxhall district. The London Bridge and Borough Market incidents have been called “terrorist incidents” by the Met Police, but the Vauxhall incident appears to be unrelated.
At 0025hrs 4/6/17 the incidents at #LondonBridge & #BoroughMarket were declared as terrorist incidents.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Witnesses say that a man fled from the van on London Bridge wielding a large knife, and headed into Borough Market. To keep the city’s residents safe, police have issued a run-hide-tell warning on Twitter:
#Londonbridge #boroughmarket #vauxhall pic.twitter.com/a7OciBEBjH
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 3, 2017
Facebook has activated its “check-in” feature, allowing locals to notify friends and family members that they’re safe. So if you know people in London and can’t reach them, check their Facebook status for peace of mind.
.@ABC News Special Report: Major police response underway to multiple incidents on and around London Bridge https://t.co/San2hYttzW pic.twitter.com/wP7H4o9iW2
— ABC News (@ABC) June 3, 2017
BBC reporter Holly Jones was on the bridge at the time of the incident and said the van was driving at about 50 mph, and she saw at least five people being treated for injuries. She also said she saw one man being arrested.
“He swerved right round me and then hit about five or six people,” Jones said. “He hit about two people in front of me and then three behind.”
Update: Police say "more than one" person killed in the London Bridge attack, as well as reports of stabbings https://t.co/JIBuLuXoop pic.twitter.com/oQ0sWMB5rz
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) June 3, 2017
This “terror incident” comes on the heels of the deadly May 22 attack in Manchester at Ariana Grande’s concert that killed 22 people and left many others wounded.
Our hearts are with you, London. Stay safe.
