On the evening of Saturday, September 23, six people were injured after a confrontation broke out near Stratford Centre, with one individual retaliating against the others by spraying an acid-like substance on them and those around them. The area, located in east London, ended up being cordoned off to the public while emergency personnel treated victims for their injuries and interviewed any potential eyewitnesses.
According to the London Evening Standard , Scotland Yard has since confirmed that a man was taken into custody and is facing potential charges of purposefully causing grievous bodily harm. The Metropolitan Police have been adamant to make sure that the public understands this incident is in no way suspected to be terror-related, and they do not have to fear for their safety as a result. The suspected east London acid attack is 100 percent believed to have been a personal dispute, and inquiries are ongoing to uncover the identities of the other individuals involved.
Social media sites were quickly flooded with pictures and videos of the aftermath, depicting ambulance workers and police tending to those who had been sprayed. The Telegraph reveals that one of those affected was a locally known homeless man , who reportedly ran into the bathroom of a nearby Burger King to attempt the rinsing of his eyes after the substance had come into contact with them. Upon inspection of the facility, authorities found medical gloves on the counter and an abundance of toilet paper, as well as copious amounts of water flooded throughout the room.
Breaking: Six injured in a noxious substance attack near London’s Stratford Center late on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/FvspqhsDo5
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) September 23, 2017
Acid attacks have, reports Vice, doubled in frequency throughout recent years . One of the most alarming incidents occurred this past Easter when 20 individuals at an east London bar were sprayed with acid during what was allegedly a drug row, forcing the evacuation of at least 600 people. Two were blinded in one eye, and two others were left with severe facial injuries. Arthur Collins, 24, was arrested in connection with the attack after law enforcement officials were forced to use a taser on him when he jumped from a window in order to evade arrest. He was subsequently charged with 14 counts of intent to cause GBH, as well as one count of throwing a corrosive fluid on someone with the intent to cause GBH.
[Featured Image by Jack Taylor/Getty Images]
