UK police investigate reports of blast on London underground train









AN explosion on a London train has left commuters with serious burns and sent hundreds of others running for their lives, causing a stampede.The morning commute descended into chaos after a “fireball flew down a carriage” at Parsons Green station, in London’s southwest. Ambulance crews are on the scene after reports of facial burns to passengers, as well other injuries caused by a crush of fleeing people.The blast occurred just after 8.20am local time (5.20pm AEST) in what police say they’re treating as a terror-related incident.It’s believed the explosion came from a shopping bag left by the tube carriage door.Pictures on social media appear to show wires coming out of a plastic bucket inside the bag.A local Metro reporter, who was on scene at the time of the incident, claimed several people had sustained serious burns and that “their hair was coming off”. The Sun quotes an onlooker saying it was like a “fireball flew down a carriage” with panicked commuters diving out an open door.And a man interviewed on BBC News said it was a “wall of flame down a carriage after a bang”.Counter-terrorism authorities are monitoring the incident but said it was still a “transport police investigation for now”.Reports from the scene said people with burns to their faces fled the train as it filled with smoke.In addition to the blast, it appears there were multiple injuries from the crush of people fleeing.Emma Steveton told BuzzFeed there were “three layers of people underneath me” in a stampede that occurred.“There was a poor little boy smashed into the floor with his face bleeding. There was a woman shouting that she was pregnant.“The most traumatic thing was the weight of these bodies piling onto me and just thinking, ‘this is it, I’m going to die’.”London Fire Brigade confirmed six engines and 50 firefighters are at the scene.“Huge police presence at Parsons Green. Was told by a police officer to get somewhere safe as quickly as I can,” an onlooker tweeted.Natasha Wills, assistant director of operations at London Ambulance Service, said multiple crews are on the scene.“Our initial priority is to assess the level and nature of injuries,” she said.Tube passenger Emma Stevie wrote on Twitter that she was forced to “run for my life”.“Huge stampede, lots injured. Not sure why. Fire/explosion mentioned.”A local man, known as Peter, told a local radio station LBC he had suffered minor burns from the explosion.“Everyone ran off the tube, it was panic stations,” Peter said. “I just turned to see and realised it was the one explosion and there wasn’t a continuation of the fire”.According to Peter, one man who was closer to the fireball had his a puffer jacket melted off by the flames. There are reports that at least 20 people were injured.Another man who said he was on the train, named only as Garth, said on Twitter that the explosion occurred on the rear carriage.A “mass of people came rushing” after the blast, he said.Train services through the area have been halted with commuters reporting a “security incident”.Another passenger, Richard Aylmer-Hall, told Sky News UK that the incident sparked “a crush of people”.“Everyone on the tube just ran in panic,” he said.“There was a bit of a stampede going down the stairs. I got up and looked around and there was a lady saying she’d seen a small bag going off.”Cred: news.com.au