London tube 'bomb': 'Woman had her hair burned off' in Parsons Green blast

A woman is escorted to safety in the wake of the explosion
Getty Images
Harriet Pavey15 September 2017

A witness who was caught up in the chaos at Parsons Green tube station has told of seeing injured passengers crying and bleeding on the street, including one woman whose hair had burned off.

Greg Hirsz found himself in a “stampede” as hundreds of people fled the explosion, which is being treated as a terrorist incident by police.

Twenty-two people have been reported injured in the blast on a busy District line train. Eighteen were taken to hospital from the scene, while others made their own way there.

Mr Hirsz, 35, who was travelling to work on the tube, described the chaos in the immediate aftermath. He told the Independent: “I was on the Tube and everyone got off in a stampede and started running.

Parsons Green explosion incident on the Tube - In pictures

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“At first I thought it was somebody with a knife attacking people.

“In the end I got out and left and went for the exit.

"I didn’t see smoke or anything but there was screaming and shouts and people talking about an explosion.

"Outside the station, it took me about five minutes to get out, there was people crying and shaking.

“I saw one woman with her hair burned at the sides, and her eyebrows.

Passengers gathered outside the station
Reuters

“She was in tears and someone was consoling her.

“There was also a man with a cut on his forehead. He was bleeding and someone was holding a handkerchief to it.

“There was a lot of crying outside and fire brigades came within about five minutes.”

The Met’s assistant commissioner, Mark Rowley, said most of the casualties suffered “flash burns”.

The assistant commissioner told the capital to be "alert but not alarmed", and urged anyone with information to contact officers via the hotline on 0800 789 321.

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