23-year-old is released under investigation after five injured at station in north London

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A man has been arrested after five people were hurt in a small explosion on Tuesday night at Southgate tube station in north London.

The 23-year-old from Enfield is suspected of “an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property, and endangering safety on the railway”, according to a statement by British Transport Police.



He has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.

Three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two more were taken to hospital.



Scotland Yard said it appeared the cause of the minor explosion was a battery short circuit.

A London ambulance service spokeswoman said: “We were called today at 7.02pm to an incident at Station Parade, N14. We sent multiple resources to the scene, including a number of ambulance crews, our hazardous area response team, a medic in a fast response car, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer.”

James Ayton, 34, from Southgate, told the Press Association he was on the escalator when he saw a burst of flames at the top. He said the flames were “six-foot-plus” and that people fled. Ayton said: “It wasn’t a bang. It was like a very rapid whooshing sound.”

Play Video 0:29 Police attend Southgate tube station after 'minor explosion' – video

He said the escalator was packed because passengers had just alighted from a train. Ayton said: “A few people got trampled on the escalator. There was screaming. An old woman got trampled on. I had to carry a woman up the stairs. I think she was in shock, to be honest. She couldn’t walk, shaking.”

He said he saw a tube worker pick something up that was on fire and extinguish it, but he added: “I think that was secondary rather than the cause.”

Police advised people to avoid the area around the station. First reports to police said a suspicious noise came from inside Southgate tube station.

The Metropolitan police’s counter-terrorism command was initially brought in to help with the investigation. But British Transport Police said soon after that announcement that it did not believe the explosion was related to terrorism.

Repeated warnings about the severity of the terrorist threat after a series of attacks in Britain last year means there is now huge attention on such reported incidents.

</s>A battery short circuit caused a small explosion at a London Underground station that injured five people Tuesday evening (local time), authorities said.

Police cordoned off the station after the explosion.

British Transport Police said the incident this morning did not seem to be related to terrorism.

"The scene has been examined by specialist officers," London Metropolitan Police said. "It appears at this stage that the cause of the explosion was a battery short circuit. The Met Police and BTP are working together to establish the full facts."

Police said they were not aware of any serious injuries in what the force called a "minor explosion" at Southgate tube station in northwest London.

London Ambulance Service said three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and two people were taken to the hospital.

The service said it received an emergency call at 7:02 p.m. and responded with a number of ambulance crews and a hazardous area response team.

Police cordons were put in place and the public was asked to keep away.

Police responded after people ran from the station and said there had been an explosion.</s>A man has been arrested after an explosion in a tube station injured five people and led police to evacuate the entire road.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police sealed off an area around Southgate tube station, Enfield, following reports of a suspicious package yesterday evening (Tuesday, June 19).

On investigation, police confirmed that there was an explosion due to a battery short circuit.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "Police were called at 7.03pm on Tuesday, June 19, to reports of an explosion and people running at Southgate underground station.

"Met officers attended the scene along with colleagues from British Transport Police (BTP), London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service.

"The scene has been examined by specialist officers. It appears at this stage that the cause of the explosion was a battery short circuit. The Met Police and BTP are working together to establish the full facts.

"We are not aware of any serious injury."

As a result, a 29-year old man from Enfield was arrested on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property, and endangering safety on the railway.

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: "Enquiries continue this morning into a small explosion at Southgate Underground station last night.

"The incident, which left five people with minor injuries, is believed to have been caused by a faulty drill battery.

"A 23-year-old man from Enfield was arrested on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property, and endangering safety on the railway.

"He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries."</s>An old photo of Southgate Tube Station. Chris Sampson/Flickr (CC)

The Metropolitan Police has said it believes a "battery short circuit" is to blame for a "minor explosion" at Southgate Tube station in North London on Tuesday evening that left several people injured.

Police were called to the station over reports of an explosion and people running a little after 7 p.m., and the station was subsequently closed and cordoned off.

In their latest statement, several hours after the incident, The Metropolitan Police said: "The scene has been examined by specialist officers. It appears at this stage that the cause of the explosion was a battery short circuit. The Met Police and [British Transport Police] are working together to establish the full facts."

British Transport Police added that "we do not believe this to be terror related."

London Ambulance Service said two people have been hospitalised, and another three were treated at the scene for "minor injuries." The exact condition and identities of the two people who were hospitalised is not currently known.

There have also been reports of a suspicious package at the station.

"Police were called at 1903hrs on Tuesday, 19 June, to reports of an explosion and people running at Southgate underground station," The Metropolitan Police said in an earlier statement.

"Met officers remain at the scene along with colleagues from British Transport Police, London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. Cordons are in place and the station is closed.

"Enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the reported explosion, which appears to have been minor. We are not aware of any serious injury."</s>Have your say

Five people were injured after an explosion at a London Tube station thought to have been caused by a battery short circuit.

Officers were called to reports of people running at Southgate Tube station shortly after 7pm on Tuesday.

A man on a “packed” escalator said some people had been “trampled” in the commotion.

London Ambulance Service said two people had been taken to hospital and three others were treated at the scene in north London for minor injuries.

A spokeswoman said: “We have treated three patients at the scene for minor injuries and have taken two people to hospital.”

The Metropolitan Police said: “It appears at this stage that the cause of the explosion was a battery short circuit.

“The Met Police and BTP (British Transport Police) are working together to establish the full facts.”

James Ayton, 34, from Southgate, was on the “packed” escalator when he saw a “quick burst” of flames at the top and said everyone “legged it”.

He said there had been a “very rapid whooshing sound”.

He added: “A few people got trampled on on the escalator. There was screaming.

“An old woman got trampled on. I had to carry a woman up the stairs. I think she was in shock to be honest. She couldn’t walk, shaking.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised emergency services for “a swift and professional response” to the incident.

British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed the incident was not believed to be terror-related.</s>LONDON - A man has been arrested over a small explosion at a London underground station on Tuesday which police said was likely to have been caused by a battery malfunction.

Five people needed medical treatment after the incident, described as minor explosion, at Southgate station in north London on Tuesday evening.Police said there was no indication of terrorism and it was believed to have been caused by a faulty drill battery."A 23-year-old man from Enfield was arrested on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property, and endangering safety on the railway," British Transport Police said in a statement on Wednesday.The man has been released pending further inquiries.</s>A 23-year-old man has been arrested after an explosion at Southgate tube station.

Five people were hurt after the blast on Tuesday evening, which was believed to have been caused by a faulty drill battery.

In a statement, British Transport Police said: "Enquiries continue this morning into a small explosion at Southgate Underground station last night.

"The incident, which left five people with minor injuries, is believed to have been caused by a faulty drill battery.

"A 23-year-old from Enfield was arrested on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property, and endangering safety on the railway.

"He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries."

Three of those injured were treated at the scene and two were taken to hospital.

A witness said several people on a packed escalator had been trampled on after the explosion sparked 6ft-high flames.

A short circuit in the battery is thought to have caused the blast, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The station was cordoned off, but the incident is not believed to be terror-related.</s>LONDON — British Transport Police have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with a small explosion at a London Underground station that injured five people.

The police say in a statement Wednesday that the man “was arrested on suspicion of doing an act likely to cause an explosion to injure or damage property endangering safety on the railway.”

They said the explosion on Tuesday night at the Southgate station in north London was believed to be caused by a faulty drill battery and did not seem to be related to terrorism.

The man was released pending further inquiry.</s>A "minor" explosion at an underground train station in London late Tuesday left five people injured, none seriously, British police said.

The London police said they were alerted by a phone call that an explosion had taken place at Southgate station in North London.

Emergency services rushed to the area and the station closed down.

A battery short circuit caused the small explosion, authorities said later. British Transport Police said the incident did not seem to be related to terrorism.

"The scene has been examined by specialist officers," London Metropolitan Police said. "It appears at this stage that the cause of the explosion was a battery short circuit. The Met Police and BTP are working together to establish the full facts."

The London ambulance service said that two people were taken to hospital while three others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Passengers spoke on Twitter of scenes of panic.

"I was at Southgate Station when this commotion started. I could smell burning (like rubber) and saw multiple people hurrying for the exits," wrote @Nakzokulah.

Police cordons were put in place and the public was asked to keep away</s>Several people were treated for injuries after a reported minor explosion in the Southgate station of the London Underground rail network, the British Transport Police said Tuesday.

London Ambulance Service tweeted that its responders treated three people at the scene for minor injuries and two people were transported to hospitals.

Metropolitan Police tweeted that "specialist officers" had examined the station and it appeared that the cause of the explosion, which occurred just after 7 p.m., was a battery short circuit. Transport police said it was a power drill battery.

Transport police said the incident was not terror related. Police earlier had said they were responding to reports of a suspicious package.
Following a battery short circuit causing an explosion a London Underground station last night, a 26-year-old man is arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing it deliberately to cause damage or endanger life. Metropolitan Police counterterror investigators hand the probe back to British Transport Police, concluding the incident which injured five was not a terror attack.