Coffee Sipping Big Board Stocks

[EZ2]

Homemade bomb on London subway train injures at least 22, declared terrorist attack

MARKETWATCH 7:46 AM ET 09/15/17

Passenger: 'Everyone just ran off the train. It was quite scary.'

An explosion Friday on a London Underground train during the morning rush hour has left passengers with burns and has been declared a terrorist incident by British authorities.

People suffered burns as a white bucket in a bag exploded on a District Line train, according to multiple media reports.

London's Metropolitan Police said on Twitter (

The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are investigating after the incident at #ParsonsGreen tube station is declared a terrorist incident

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 15, 2017

) that the event at the Parsons Green station in West London has been "declared a terrorist incident," and its counter-terrorism specialists were investigating.

"We now assess that this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device," Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police's assistant commissioner said at a news conference (https://www.pscp.tv/w/1jMJgPwomBYxL), using a term for bombs made by people who are not in an official army.

The London Ambulance Service said (

We have taken 18 patients to a number of London hospitals. None are thought to be in a serious or life-threatening condition #ParsonsGreen pic.twitter.com/3B13JznAqZ

— London Ambulance Service (@Ldn_Ambulance) September 15, 2017

) it had taken 18 patients to a number of London hospitals, with none of them "thought to be in a serious or life-threatening condition." U.K. health authorities said four other people went to hospitals on their own, bringing the tally for those injured to at least 22, according to a BBC report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-london-41218382?ns_mchannel=social&ns_ source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=59bbb83be4b0837b3c345c25%26Twenty-two%20people%20being%20treated%20in% 20hospital%26&ns_fee=0#post_59bbb83be4b0837b3c345c25).

Tube passengers, U.K. authorities and reporters at the Underground stop -- which was closed after reports of a fire -- were posting pictures and video in the aftermath of the IED blast:

(

#parsonsgreen pic.twitter.com/0OUV819EtE

— Sylvain Pennec (@sylvainpennec) September 15, 2017

)

(

We have a number of resources and specialists officers in attendance at the incident at #ParsonsGreen tube station https://t.co/GYOEv6kMua pic.twitter.com/bdiCr4hWcZ

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) September 15, 2017

)

"This fireball ... singed all my hair," Tube passenger Peter Crowley told the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk- england-41277469/parsons-green-passenger-suffers-burns-to-head). "Everyone just ran off the train. It was quite scary."

A bucket in what appeared to be an insulated Lidl shopping bag was the source of the flames, according to preliminary reports (http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/15/explosion-on-tube-train-at-parsons-green-sparks-panic-on-district-line-6929973) that described the setup as a possible homemade bomb.

Passenger Chris Wildish told Sky News (http://news.sky.com/story/parsons-green-tube-blast-witness-saw-whole-carriage- engulfed-in-flames-11036298) that he saw flames coming out of a bucket. There were wires and a "strong smell of chemicals," Wildish said.

Prime Minister Theresa May -- who was expected to lead a meeting of the U.K. government's Cobra emergencies committee this afternoon -- tweeted her support for those injured and first responders:

(

PM: My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and emergency services who are responding bravely to this terrorist incident.

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 15, 2017

)

London Mayor Sadiq Kahn said London "will never be intimidated or defeated by terrorism."

"I urge all Londoners to remain calm and vigilant, and to check TfL's website for travel advice," he said, referring to the subway system's operator, Transport for London:

(

The @metpoliceuk have confirmed that the explosion on a train at Parsons Green Station is being treated as terrorism https://t.co/4jRHedcBXt pic.twitter.com/Vbt5uCFpih

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) September 15, 2017

)

There was no Tube service on the District Line between Earl's Court and Wimbledon, and other parts of the line were experiencing severe delays, TfL said on its website (https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/#line-lul-district).

U.K. stocks (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uk-stocks-drop-for-4th-day-under-pressure-from-pounds-rally-2017-09-15) appeared to shrug off the incident, as traders seemed more focused on fresh hawkish signals (http://www.marketwatch.com/ story/boe-dove-vlieghe-now-sees-need-for-rate-hike-2017-09-15) from the Bank of England. Greater prospects for a rise in interest rates have lifted the pound above $1.36 for the first time in more than a year, weighing on the FTSE 100 .

U.S. President Donald Trump denounced those behind the explosion as "sick and demented people" in a tweet on Friday morning:

-MarketWatch; 415-439-6400; [e-mail]

(

Another attack in London by a loser terrorist.These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2017

)


(END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-15-170746ET
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.