Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South)-Four people were killed and dozens more were injured in the terrorist attack at Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, according to ABC News.
Police had said late on Wednesday (local time) that the death toll was five, but that figure was revised down.
The four dead include the attacker, the policeman who was stabbed, and two members of the public, a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s.
The attack began when a speeding car ran down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing into the railings surrounding Parliament.
The driver then entered parliament grounds and fatally stabbed a 48-year-old police officer before being shot dead himself.
Three French high-school students aged 15 or 16, who were on a school trip to London were among the injured.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was expected to arrive in London to visit them at hospital, French media reported.
British Parliament was due to convene as normal later in the day, after Prime Minister Theresa May said the attack would not disrupt British democracy or normal life in the capital.
The suspect, who authorities believe acted alone, was shot and killed by police. In an initial press conference on Wednesday evening, Rowley said the suspect tried to enter Parliament but was stopped “very close to the gate.”
The officer who died, identified as 48-year-old Keith Palmer, was not armed, he added. Palmer, a husband and father, served for 15 years with the Metropolitan Police,
Police believe that the attack was “inspired by international terrorism” and that they know the attacker’s identity, but Rowley has refused to provide further details. Authorities are also looking at the suspect’s possible associates.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as “appalling” and a “sick and depraved terrorist attack” in a press conference Wednesday evening.
She said the location chosen for the attack was “no accident” and that Britain’s threat level will remain at severe, where it has been for some time.
“The terrorists chose to strike at the heart of our capital city, where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech,” she said.
Comments
About Author
