Terror suspect rams car into pedestrians near UK Parliament, 20 hurt

How it unfolded

• Man in 40s, believed to be an Asian, ploughed his car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing at least two
• Carrying a knife, he is believed to have run through the gates of the Palace of Westminster — Britain’s Houses of Parliament — stabbing a police officer on duty
• Plainclothes armed officers shouted warnings before shooting the assailant dead. The House was in session at the time

‘It appeared routine house evacuation’

• London: “A sense of calm prevailed inside Parliament,” an Indian-origin man, who was also stuck in the House when the attack took place, told The Tribune. He said all staff members were composed as it appeared to be a routine procedure ofevacuation. “Things are normal even as the area has been cordoned off,” he said. TNS

No Indian casualty; Trump dials may

• External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj said there had been no report so far of any Indian casualty in the attack. “I am in constant touch with Indian High Commission in London,” she tweeted. US President Donald Trump spoke with British PM Theresa May and pledged support in bringing guilty to justice.

Four persons, including the attacker and a police officer, were killed in “terrorism incident” at the British Parliament, the police said. “Four persons have died. That includes the police officer who was protecting Parliament and one man we believe to be the attacker, who was shot by a police firearms officer,” Britain’s top counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley told mediapersons. At least one woman was reported to have died while several are said to have sustained “catastrophic injuries.”

The attack comes on the first anniversary of the Belgian terror attacks. The worst terrorist attack in London occurred in July 2005 when four British Islamists killed 52 commuters.

A man in his 40s is believed to have carried out today’s attack in the heart of central London. A section of the British media described him as “an Asian”. Driving a Hyundai i40, he ploughed through a crowd, injuring at least 20 pedestrians, and crashed the car into railings. He is then believed to have run through the gates of the Palace of Westminster — Britain’s Houses of Parliament — stabbing a police officer.

Among many eyewitnesses –one was quoted as saying by a leading England daily,  “I saw a man running with a very large kitchen knife. He was running really fast and went straight past the guards at the gate. I saw him stab a police officer two or three times. His colleague intervened and the officer managed to stagger away. I then heard two shots and the man went down.” Other witnesses reported one body on Westminster Bridge, right next to the Parliament building. Witnesses heard up to a dozen gunshots.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was seen being bundled into her official car, a Tata Motors built bullet-proof Jaguar. She was reported to be safe. Minutes after the incident, an emergency helicopter landed in Parliament Square as sirens of ambulances and police cars rang out. The London Police said a “full counter-terrorism investigation is underway” into the attempt to penetrate the Palace of Westminster — that houses the House of Commons and Lords and the iconic Big Ben.

Buildings in an around Parliament Square, where a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was installed in 2015, were on lockdown, including the Supreme Court and Westminster Abbey.

The House of Commons suspended its session as loud explosive sounds were heard inside the building. TV pictures showed several persons lying wounded on Westminster Bridge, some bleeding heavily. Another was reported to be under a bus.

London’s Police Headquarters, Scotland Yard, said, “Officers remain on the scene and we are treating this as a terrorist incident, until we know otherwise.” Amid confusing scenes, it appeared the incident may have unfolded at several locations.