An attack in London at the British Parliament, described as “terrorist” by the police caused the death on Wednesday of a woman and ten seriously injured. A policeman was stabbed and the alleged assailant was hit by gunfire. Students from St. Joseph High School Concarneau were on Westminster Bridge during the attack; three of them were hospitalized, two of them in serious condition.
A woman was killed, u n policeman was stabbed and hit a suspected assailant shot early Wednesday afternoon in front the parliament of Westminster in London, an incident that police described as “terrorist” .
A dozen students from St. Joseph High School Concarneau were on Westminster Bridge at the time. Three of them are hospitalized in St. Thomas, including two in serious condition, a native of Melgven, the other Pont-Aven. The other students on the bridge, will be repatriated to their hostel.
“A policeman was stabbed and a suspected assailant hit by bullet”, said the head of the House of Commons, David Lidington, MPs, confined within the parliament “until further notice” .
An incident a “terrorist”
Scotland Yard said it had been called for about 2.40pm local time (and GMT) for an “incident Westminster Bridge related to firearms” . Police confirmed later that it considered “until proven otherwise” , it was an incident “terrorist.”
A Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister Theresa May was “good” .
Ms. May spoke to British MPs in early afternoon but the spokesman refused to confirm if it was still in the Palace of Westminster or nearby when the attack occurred.
LIVE: British police say they are treating incident near parliament as ‘terrorist’ incident until know otherwise. https://t.co/1rLb7MAbNR pic.twitter.com/XSF8AJN7uH
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) March 22, 2017
“A knife of about twenty centimeters”
Several witnesses interviewed by the British media saw a man cross the entry gates of the current parliament and brandishing a knife.
Other witnesses saw two people lying on the floor in front of the Parliament in the heart of London.
“We were taking pictures of Big Ben when everyone started running and we saw a man of about forty with a knife of about twenty centimeters. Then we heard three shots. We crossed the street and saw the man bleeding on the ground “ , told Jayne Wilkinson.
“I clearly heard gunshots. I saw someone fall dressed in black. I think he was a policeman, “ said an employee of the Parliament.
Air ambulance just landed at Parliament Square, Westminster, dozens of police cars pic.twitter.com/T0QqXbo187
— Liam Edwards (@LiamPLEdwards1) March 22, 2017
A car on Westminster Bridge
A rescue helicopter landed shortly after the incident there. Furthermore at least two ambulances were parked near Westminster Bridge, near the parliament. The police cleared the crowd on the bridge, saying that the place was “not sure” .
British television has also aired footage of a car pressed on side guards of Westminster Bridge in front of the Parliament and Big Ben.
The images showed at least two people lying on the ground and treated on the bridge closed to traffic. Westminster tube station was closed, said a spokesman of the authority Transport for London.
“13 attempted terrorist attack since June 2013”
In the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, debates on a r éférendum independence were briefly interrupted to inform members of the incident in London.
A security official said the Scottish police was reviewing security at Holyrood, Edinburgh neighborhood where the Scottish Parliament is located.
Scotland Yard announced in early March that British security services had “foiled 13 terrorist attempts since June 2013” in the UK.
The level of terror alert in the UK is set for August 2014 to “severe” , the fourth on a scale of 5. Following the attacks of November 2015 in France, police announced the deployment of 600 additional armed police London, taking the total to 2,800.
Traffic Cam image of Westminster Bridge pic.twitter.com/3Lmf7DeJyk
— Phil Verney (@philverney) March 22, 2017
“Friendship” and “solidarity” of France
The new interior minister on Wednesday sent “a message of friendship and full solidarity to the British people” is “now in the test” after the shooting in the Parliament in London.
“A Mecca of democracy was attacked. We are in full solidarity with Britain, France is of course ready to assist as necessary “ , added Matthias Fekl traveling in Seine-et-Marne.
