Teenager Detained In Connection With London Underground Explosion At Parsons Green

From the moment London’s Parsons Green underground station was rocked by an explosion which injured up to 30 people, law enforcement officials were on the hunt for the person or persons responsible. Earlier today, September 16, a teenager was placed under arrest in connection with the terrorist attack and brought into custody.

According to The Washington Post, the 18-year-old’s arrest took place this morning in Dover, Kent, a port city popular with those wishing to take a boat out of England. Although this has not been confirmed, authorities suspect that an escape is exactly what the London bombing suspect had in mind and as such feel quite lucky to have apprehended him in time. He was initially booked into a Kent police station, but an arrangement was put in place for the man to be transferred to south London at a later time.

There is also speculation that the yet-to-be identified detainee was not acting alone, with authorities continuing to seek out any others who were involved in orchestrating the blast. BBC News has revealed that police conducted a raid that same afternoon, which took place at a house in Sunbury, located west of London. Nearby residents were evacuated and informed that they could not return to their homes until the search was completed, which would take several hours.

As reported by Global News, once the initial shock wore off, those present on the train or at the Parsons Green tube station at the time of the London underground attack were able to start giving their eyewitness statements. “Complete terror” is said to have ensued as fire and smoke spread throughout the train following the IED detonating. One witness, 33-year-old Luke Walmsley, recalls the level of panic those on the District line experienced as people literally climbed over each other in their desperate attempt to escape injury or death. Thankfully, there were no casualties due to the bombing but some of the wounded are said to have suffered burns to their heads, and as such needed immediate medical treatment.

London mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement shortly after the terrorist attack, in which he condemned the “cowards” responsible. This is the fifth act of its kind to take place in the nation’s capital since the start of 2017.

[Featured Image by Tim Ireland/AP Images]