Phone charger fire causes panic at London's Tower Hill station
September 26, 2017
LONDON: At least three people were reportedly injured when a small fire erupted at London's Tower Hill station on Tuesday.
British Transport Police tweeted that the incident is not suspicious. "Fire believed to have been caused by mobile phone charger overheating."
London Fire Brigade confirmed to have dealt with the situation.
The incident occurred on Tower Hill station's District Line. The train was inbound from east London to Ealing Broadway.
At least, three passengers were injured when panicked passengers fled the train’s carriage. However, many others suffered minor injuries.
Of the injured, two were given medical aid and sent to their homes. But, a woman is said to be critically injured and shifted to a hospital.
Earlier, reports from the incident had stated that a black bag caught fire after what appeared to be a low-intensity explosion in one the carriages of the train.
The police confirmed that a passenger was charging two phones, which were kept in his bag when a small fire erupted due to which smoke engulfed the carriage.
The station was closed following the incident and reopened after 1.5 hours.
Following the news of the incident, British Transport Police tweeted: "Officers have been called to Tower Hill station following a fire alert. The station is closed whilst officers and @LondonFire respond.
Meanwhile, the services on Circle Line and District Line were also disrupted.
On September 16, a home-made bomb on a packed rush-hour commuter train in London engulfed a carriage in flames and injured 29 people on Friday, but apparently failed to fully explode, in Britain’s fifth major terrorism incident this year.
Passengers heading into the British capital fled in panic after the blast as the train was about to depart Parsons Green station in West London at 8:20 AM (12:20 PM PST).
Some suffered burns and others were injured in a stampede to escape the station — one of the above-ground stops on the underground “Tube” network — but health officials said none were thought to be in a serious condition.
