London police rule out terrorism after car crashes into pedestrians

A man was detained after 11 peoplewere injured on Saturday in a collision with a car near London's Natural History Museumin one of the capital's busiest touristareas, but police ruled out terrorism.

Police said it was believed a car mounted the sidewalk andcollided with a number of pedestrians.

"The incident is a road traffic investigation and not aterrorist-related incident," the statement said.

The museum, one of the most popular visitor attractions inthe country, said in a statement: "A vehicle has collided with pedestrians near the Natural History Museum entrance atExhibition Road."

London's ambulance service said they had treated 11 people,mostly for head and leg injuries, with nine taken to hospital.

11 injured as car crashes into pedestrians in London

7 years ago

Duration 0:41

Man detained after car mounts sidewalk and collides with pedestrians near London's Natural History Museum. Police say incident is not 'terrorist-related'

Videofrom the scene in South Kensington, westLondon, showed a man being pinned to the ground by what appearedto be four security guards or police officers.

Prime Minister Theresa May was being updated, a spokesmansaid, adding it was usual practice in such circumstances, andLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was in close contact with thepolice's most senior counterterrorism officer.

Packed with tourists

Exhibition Road, in one of London's most upmarket districts,is home to a host of museums, restaurants and universitybuildings, with the streets packed with tourists at the weekend.

"We heard a horrible thudding noise and a car engine.Everyone started running and screaming inside," Connor Honeyman,who was in the queue for the museum, told the BBC.

A witness told Reuters that large numbers of paramedics andpolice, including armed officers, were at the scene, although theatmosphere appeared calm.

The car believed to have been involved in the incident waslying diagonally across the road, jammed between two other vehicles. A BBC reporter said she had seen one or two people onthe ground and police had told her the injuries sustained wereminor.

Britain is on its second highest security alert level,meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely. There have been five attacks described by the authorities asterrorism this year, three involving vehicles.

In March, a man drove a car into pedestrians on London'sWestminster Bridge, killing four before stabbing a police officerto death in the grounds of parliament.

Three Islamist militants drove into people on London Bridgein June before stabbing people at nearby restaurants and bars,killing eight. The same month, a van was driven into worshippersnear a mosque in north London which left one man dead.

The Natural History Museum is the fourth most populartourist attraction in the United Kingdom, with 4.6 million visits during 2016, according to the Association of LeadingVisitor Attractions.

A spokesman for the museum told Reuters that no one wasbeing allowed into the building and people were being let outthrough a different exit.