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| Oxford Circus: Platform 'altercation' caused tube panic | Oxford Circus: Platform 'altercation' caused tube panic |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police have released images of two men they want to speak to, after an altercation at a central London Tube station created mass panic on Friday. | Police have released images of two men they want to speak to, after an altercation at a central London Tube station created mass panic on Friday. |
| Officers want to speak to anyone who was at Oxford Circus underground station at the time of the evacuation. | |
| Sixteen people were treated after they were injured fleeing the station, following reports of gunshots being fired on a Central Line platform. | Sixteen people were treated after they were injured fleeing the station, following reports of gunshots being fired on a Central Line platform. |
| There was no evidence any weapons had been fired, police said. | There was no evidence any weapons had been fired, police said. |
| Shoppers were barricaded inside stores on Oxford Street and armed police were deployed after the alarm was raised during the evening rush hour on Black Friday. | |
| Police initially treated the incident as potentially terrorism-related, before standing down. | Police initially treated the incident as potentially terrorism-related, before standing down. |
| The British Transport Police said it believes there was an altercation between two men on the platform before the scare. | |
| The Met said it began receiving "numerous" 999 calls reporting gunshots in Oxford Street and at Oxford Circus station at 16:38 GMT on Friday. | The Met said it began receiving "numerous" 999 calls reporting gunshots in Oxford Street and at Oxford Circus station at 16:38 GMT on Friday. |
| The first armed response vehicle was on the scene in less than a minute from receiving the first call, the force said. | |
| Oxford Circus - where Oxford Street and Regent Street meet - was cordoned off, while shops and businesses were placed in lockdown. | Oxford Circus - where Oxford Street and Regent Street meet - was cordoned off, while shops and businesses were placed in lockdown. |
| In a statement, the Met Police said: "No casualties, evidence of any shots fired or any suspects were located by police." | In a statement, the Met Police said: "No casualties, evidence of any shots fired or any suspects were located by police." |
| But 16 people were injured as passengers fled from Oxford Circus station, in what witnesses said was "a stampede". | But 16 people were injured as passengers fled from Oxford Circus station, in what witnesses said was "a stampede". |
| One patient was transferred to a major trauma centre for leg injuries, while eight people were taken to central London hospitals for minor injuries. | One patient was transferred to a major trauma centre for leg injuries, while eight people were taken to central London hospitals for minor injuries. |
| By 18:05 GMT, the police operation had been stood down. | By 18:05 GMT, the police operation had been stood down. |
| In a statement, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the city's emergency services for a "swift response". | In a statement, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the city's emergency services for a "swift response". |
| BBC reporter Helen Bushby said she had seen a "mass stampede" of people running away from Oxford Circus station. | BBC reporter Helen Bushby said she had seen a "mass stampede" of people running away from Oxford Circus station. |
| "They were crying, they were screaming, they were dropping their shopping bags. It was a very panicked scene," she added. | "They were crying, they were screaming, they were dropping their shopping bags. It was a very panicked scene," she added. |
| "People said they heard a gunshot and panic was just spreading." | "People said they heard a gunshot and panic was just spreading." |