A police officer and a police dog walk near the US Embassy amid an ongoing investigation following an incident in London, Britain, on November 22, 2024. Photo courtesy: Reuters
UK police said on Friday (November 22, 2024) that officers had carried out a controlled explosion after “a suspicious package” was found outside the United States Embassy in London.
The blast came after the capital’s Metropolitan Police force set up a cordon near the high security site at Nine Elms, just south of the River Thames.
“We can confirm that the ‘loud explosion’ that occurred in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by the authorities,” the force said in a post on Twitter.
“The investigation is still ongoing and the cordon will remain in place for the time being.”
The US Embassy said in a post on the same forum that local authorities were investigating “a suspicious package” outside the building.
It said police had closed a nearby road “out of an abundance of caution”.
In another sign that UK authorities are on high alert, Gatwick Airport said a “large part” of the south terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident.
“As long as this continues, passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal. The safety and security of our passengers and employees remains our top priority,” OnX said.
“We are working hard to resolve this issue as soon as possible,” the statement said, without giving further details.
published – November 22, 2024 05:10 PM IST
