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Oxford Circus: Platform 'altercation' caused tube panic | Oxford Circus: Platform 'altercation' caused tube panic |
(about 2 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. | 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. | 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 believed there had been an altercation between two men on the platform before the scare. | |
The Metropolitan Police 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. | 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". |
'Mass stampede' | |
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." |
According to BBC correspondent Andy Moore, eyewitnesses reported being evacuated from the tube station on the instructions of a generic announcement. | |
They came up to street level in a state of confusion - some reporting loud bangs - spreading panic among shoppers which quickly passed down the street and onto social media. | |
The British Transport Police told those in the area to "go into a building and stay inside until further notice". | |
People barricaded themselves into shops, many of which went into lockdown - including Selfridges, which is half a mile down Oxford Street from Oxford Circus. | |
Singer Olly Murs, who was shopping in Selfridges, told his 7.8m followers on Twitter: "Get out of Selfridges now gun shots!! I'm inside." | |
He added: "Really not sure what's happened! I'm in the back office... but people screaming and running towards exits!" | |
Mr Murs, who was later criticised for spreading panic, said afterwards: "It's easy to say now it was nothing but in a state of shock and panic I was trying to make people aware of what was happening. Which I was led to believe by staff and customers that someone was shooting." | |
Selfridges later said on Twitter that it was evacuated "as a precautionary measure". | |
It added: "We have been working with @MetPoliceUK and can confirm that there were no reported incidents in store." |