Many are taking to Twitter to urge calm and warn against speculation and sensationalism after witnesses described a “fireball explosion” in Parsons Green underground train station.
Commuters are reporting an explosion came from a bucket, although the contents of the container are not known. Images circulating on social media show what appears to be a burning bucket inside a shopping bag on the train floor.
Police say they are investigating the incident, but have not commented on the cause.
Twitter user Lilo Lil said it was “sad to see the incident at Parsons Green is bringing a resurgence of religious intolerance and racism without even any facts.”
Haringey and Westminster Police are urging the public to follow the Metropolitan Police for updates, and not jump to conclusions on the cause of the explosion.
PrincessMissDee tweeted: “Don’t share rumours, remember a lot of people are reading twitter on tube wifi rn and need to not be panicked."
Jamie Gemmell tweeted that the amount of speculation is “disgraceful.”
Sophia Allan added: “I’m not saying something serious didn’t happen… just that people should avoid spreading mass panic for the sake of a tweet.”
She added: “And the press jumping on every tweet? … ‘Can we use this’? How about finding out if it real/true first?”
Others are hitting out at the media for “sensationalist” reporting.