Report by Paula Antolini
March 22, 2017 12:58PM EDT
A picture obtained from the Twitter account of James West, shows a car stopped on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of Westminster. (Photo: James West/Handout/AFP)
BREAKING WORLD NEWS / LONDON UK
Breaking World News: Attack in London, At Least 1 Dead, Many Injuries, Considered ‘Terrorism’ by UK
UPDATE March 22, 2017, 1:59PM EDT:
Independent/UK reports:
“A police officer is believed to have died after an assailant launched a car and knife attack on Westminster in central London, ramming into members of the public on Westminster Bridge before entering Parliament grounds, where he was shot by officers.
“One woman died on Westminster Bridge and the attack is being described by police as a ‘terrorist incident’. At least 10 others have been hurt in total, according to authorities, some with ‘catastrophic” injuries.
“Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife.
“Images emerged of a man dressed in black, believed to be the suspect, being treated on a stretcher within Parliament grounds. A knife could be seen lying on the ground nearby.”
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ORIGINAL NEWS STORY: March 22, 2017, 12:58PM EDT:
At around 2:40 pm (1440 GMT) on Wednesday, gunfire was reported outside the Parliament in London and, separately, that several people had been injured in an incident on Westminster Bridge next to it, a busy traffic conduit that is also a popular tourist spot due to its views of parliament and its “Big Ben” clock tower.
Reports of gunfire outside Houses of Parliament in London revealed what the UK is considering a “terrorist” incident today, after a car drove into a crowd outside of Commons and a police officer was stabbed and seriously injured. Police responded by shooting assailant in attack. At least two are confirmed dead including a woman. At least 10 people treated for injuries. House of Commons suspended.
“On the bridge, witnesses said a vehicle struck several people, and photos showed a car ploughed into railings. Witnesses in Parliament reported hearing sounds like gunfire.” reports the Independent/UK. “Eyewitness video has shown five people being ‘mown down’ by a car on Westminster Bridge.”
David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told MPs: “The alleged assailant was shot by armed police. An air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties, according to the Independent/UK.
“There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate it would be wrong for me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and house security authorities about what is going on.
“I shall endeavour to do the very best I can, both at the dispatch box and by communicating with my opposite numbers in other political parties to ensure members are kept aware of what is happening.
“But at the moment the very clear advice from the police and director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures.”
Shadow leader of the house Valerie Vaz added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the police officer. [I want] to thank the police and all security services, and all the staff for looking after us so well.”
Police are treating this attack as a terrorist incident and have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident.
No clear picture as to the motive of this attack or who was responsible. Investigation is ongoing.
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U. S. Embassy London
Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: Incident in Westminster
22 March 2017
The U.S. Embassy in London informs U.S. citizens that there has been a security incident on Westminster Bridge near Parliament. U.S. citizens should heed guidance from local authorities and maintain security awareness. View updates from the Metropolitan Police at news.met.police.uk/ or follow at @metpoliceuk.
Please monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.
We strongly encourage U.S. citizens in the United Kingdom to directly contact concerned family members in the United States to advise them of your safety.
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and United Kingdom Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in London at 44 (0) 20 7894 0551, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
- Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
More Information
Please follow directions of the local authorities and monitor local news. Useful sources of updates include:
- London Metropolitan Police Service @MetPoliceUK
- The Metropolitan Police on protests & special events in London @MetPoliceEvents
- Transport for London (TFL) @TFL
- London Fire Brigade @LondonFire
- City of London Police UK @CityPolice
- British Transport Police @BTP
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