Explosion on London Underground train treated as terrorist incident

Emergency services including armed police rushed to the scene at Parsons Green station after being alerted at around 8.20am on Friday.

Police now say the explosion is being treated as a terrorist incident.

Britain's top counter-terror officer Mark Rowley said: We now assess this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device.''

22 people were injured in the explosion, with most of them suffering flash burns''

Witnesses describe hearing a blast and then flames.

The Prime Minister says her "thoughts are with those injured" and - along with the Mayor of London - is being regularly updated by officials.

The government's organised an emergency COBRA meeting this lunchtime, which Theresa May will be chairing.

Pictures appeared to show an explosion in a bucket towards the rear of a train - news agencies are sharing this picture from social media but it's not confirmed to be linked to the incident as yet.

Media technology consultant Richard Aylmer-Hall, 53, was sitting on the District Line train bound for central London when panic unfolded at around 8.20am.

He said he saw several people injured, having apparently been trampled as they tried to escape.

I was on the Tube, we had just stopped at Parsons Green, I was on my way up from Wimbledon towards Paddington and suddenly there was panic, lots of people shouting, screaming, lots of screaming.

There was a woman on the platform who said she had seen a bag, a flash and a bang, so obviously something had gone off.

It was an absolutely packed, rush-hour District Line train from Wimbledon to Edgware Road.

I saw crying women, there was lots of shouting and screaming, there was a bit of a crush on the stairs going down to the streets.

Some people got pushed over and trampled on, I saw two women being treated by ambulance crews.

Since then, every emergency vehicle in London has gone past me, fire engines, ambulances, every type of police vehicle.''

Mr Aylmer-Hall added: I don't think anyone was hurt by the actual device or whatever it was.'

The Metropolitan Police said: "Police were called at approximately 08:20hrs on Friday, 15 September to Parsons Green Underground Station following reports of an incident on a tube train."

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police are in attendance along with the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service."

Natasha Wills, of London Ambulance Service said: We were called at 8.20am to reports of an incident at Parsons Green underground station.

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.

Our initial priority is to assess the level and nature of injuries. More information will follow when we have it.'

London Fire Brigade said they were called to the incident at 8.21am on Friday

Six fire engines, two fire rescue unit and around 50 firefighters and specialist officers are currently attending the incident

Fire crews from Fulham, Wandsworth, Chelsea, Hammersmith and other surrounding fire stations are involved.