A boat from the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit struck Westminster Bridge on the River Thames in central London on Friday afternoon, in an incident that left five officers injured. Emergency services mounted a major response on the water and along the riverside, with the crossing beside the Houses of Parliament sealed off while the situation was brought under control.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said the incident happened at around 3.40pm on Friday, when a boat from its Marine Policing Unit struck Westminster Bridge. According to the force, a number of officers entered the water as a result, but they were recovered. The account pointed to a collision involving the police vessel and the bridge as the cause of the incident.
The Met said additional officers then responded to the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade. Earlier, casualties could be seen being treated by paramedics on an inflatable boat, and responders from the RNLI, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, were seen treating people on a boat at Westminster Pier as the operation unfolded.
According to the police statement, five officers were injured in the incident and are receiving treatment. The force said it was still awaiting an update on the extent of their injuries. The focus of the emergency teams was on the officers who had ended up in the water and were pulled to safety during the response near the bridge.
The Met also said that, at this stage, it does not believe any members of the public were involved or injured in the incident. That indication helped to narrow the scope of the event to those on board the police vessel, even as the scene drew crowds and a large emergency presence in one of the busiest parts of the capital.
Westminster Bridge, a key crossing over the Thames, was closed to traffic during the response, bringing vehicles to a standstill in the area. The Metropolitan Police said the circumstances of the incident will be thoroughly reviewed, while the Port of London Authority had earlier confirmed that emergency services were dealing with an incident on the river at Westminster Bridge.