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A Visual Look At The London Bridge Attack
The city of London was rocked Saturday evening when multiple incidents left multiple injured and even more fearing for their safety. The chain of events started with a vehicular incident on the London Bridge, and continued into Borough Market. But how close were the areas of attack for them to occur so close together? The map of the London Bridge attack show the proximity of the two locations.
UPDATE: The London Bridge attack has since been declared a terrorist incident, according to the Associated Press. London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick on Sunday confirmed that the death toll in the London Bridge attack had been raised to seven, not including three of the attackers, with at least 48 others injured. Dick added that the remaining injured had been transported "to five hospitals across London." Some were in critical condition. The three attackers "were fatally shot by officers within eight minutes of the first emergency call," according to The Washington Post. An additional 12 people have also been arrested in connection with the attack.
The nearby Vauxhall stabbing was later declared not to be part of the London Bridge attack, but a separate incident.
EARLIER: According to BBC, news of the London Bridge attack first broke at 5:45 p.m. ET with limited details. In the news outlet's initial reports, several pedestrians had been hit by a vehicle on the London Bridge in Central London. Police officers and paramedics hurried to the scene, which was described as a "major police incident." BBC's Holly Jones, who was on the scene at the time of the incident, told the outlet that the vehicle was likely traveling at around 50 miles per hour (according to a March 2015 report form BBC, the speed limit on the London Bridge is 20 miles per hour.)
A report from CNN stated that shots were fired on the London Bridge 10 minutes after the pedestrians were struck and left "lying in the roadway." CNN also reported that shortly after the London Bridge incident, a man entered a restaurant in Borough Market and stabbed two people with a "massive knife."
Given the length of time between the two incidents, many outside of London may be wondering how close the London Bridge and Borough Market are to one another. Both attractions are located in London's Westminster area and not far from one another. Based on Buzzfeed's map of the London Bridge attack, they are a little less than half a mile apart.
Although the authorities have yet to release a statement regarding the motives behind the incidents, many are wondering, "is the London Bridge attack was an act of terrorism." It's a valid question, given the tragedies that have occurred in the country over the past few months. The London Bridge attacks come off the heels of the May 22 explosions at the Arianna Grande concert in Manchester, England — about 163 miles from London — that left 22 people dead and 59 injured. Two months prior to that, an attack outside of Parliament left five dead and at least 40 injured.
As details on the London Bridge and Borough Market incidents roll in, it is important not to jump to conclusions right away and offer full support to the people of England, who need the world's help now more than ever.