London – Police in London carried out a controlled explosion on Friday after finding a suspicious package near the US embassy in the British capital. They blocked roads near the embassy complex, which is located on the south side of the River Thames in London’s Nine Elms district.
“We can confirm that the ‘loud bang’ reported recently in the area was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement posted online.
The embassy said in its own social media post that police had closed a road near the building out of “an abundance of caution.”
People wait in line outside the US Embassy in London, in a November 6, 2024 file photo. /Credit: Mina Kim/REUTERS
Later Friday, the embassy said in a new statement that the facility had “returned to normal operations” but that all public appointments had been canceled for the rest of the day, with people needing to renew their passports and attend other appointments having to wait on emails. reschedule.
“Local authorities investigated and cleared a suspicious package outside the embassy,” the statement said, thanking London police “for your quick action, and thanking all visitors for your cooperation and patience at this time.”
The US Embassy in London opened in early 2018 in a new location just outside the city center. The embassy is located on a sprawling campus, relatively far from major public roads and surrounded by security fortifications.
Former British counter-terrorism coordinator Nick Aldworth told CBS News on Friday that the US Embassy building is “one of the most secure locations in London.”
An aerial view shows the US Embassy in London where emergency vehicles block the roads around the building as Metropolitan Police investigate a suspicious package found in the area, November 22, 2024. / Credit: AP Television
“It is a purpose-built embassy,” he said, which gave the complex “the advantage of being built with built-in environmental protection measures” such as earthen berms and other physical features, making it “at the cutting edge of design and location for the protect against terrorist incidents.”
London’s Gatwick Airport is being hit by a separate security crisis
Not long after the embassy warning was issued, a similar situation unfolded at Gatwick Airport, just south of London, where a suspected prohibited item was found in someone’s luggage, prompting a terminal closure.
“The South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident,” the Gatwick news agency told CBS News. “Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remains our top priority. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Sussex Police said in a statement that a bomb squad had been deployed to investigate the item “as a precaution”.
“This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal are closed,” police said. “We advise the public to avoid the area where possible.”
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