Manhunt underway after bomb injures 29 on London subway

Por Christina Boyle, Melissa Etehad

Sep. 15, 2017 11:15 AM PT

Reporting from London —

London was rocked by another terror attack Friday — the fifth this year — sending panicked commuters running for cover during the morning rush hour and sparking a massive manhunt for the perpetrator, who was still at large several hours later.

Authorities said the incident was caused by an improvised explosive device that had been left inside a bucket in a supermarket cooler bag on a busy subway car.

Photos on social media showed a white bucket on fire inside the train.

The train was entering Parsons Green station in leafy southwest London, heading toward central London, when the bomb burst into flames around 8:20 a.m. local time. It reportedly had a timer attached, but it was not immediately clear whether it detonated as planned or earlier than intended.

Twenty-nine people were injured, most suffering flash burns, but no one was killed — unlike the other terror attacks this year that left dozens killed and scores more hurt. Police immediately launched a manhunt, but the individual who caused the blast was still at large later in the day Friday.

Prime Minister Theresa May summoned a meeting of the government’s emergency COBRA committee and described the attack as “cowardly.”

She said the nationwide terror threat level would remain at “severe,” but it was under review. In the wake of the Manchester Arena blast in May at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande pop concert, May raised the threat level to the highest — “critical.”

U.S. President Trump took to Twitter a few hours after the incident to condemn the attack while also appearing to a suggest that officials were aware of the identity or identities of the people behind it.

“Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!” he said in his first tweet.

He also renewed his call for a tougher travel ban in the United States.

“The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!”

When questioned about those comments, May responded: “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.”

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the public would see a heightened police presence at transport hubs and urged anyone with images of the incident, or knowledge of the attack, to contact authorities.

He said the public should remain alert but should not be alarmed.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the attack was an attempt by “evil and cowardly” individuals to disrupt the city’s way of life, adding that the capital would never be defeated by terrorism.

He also called for more police resources in London, saying he was unapologetic for using this incident to again spotlight the issue of budget cuts.

“Since 2010, we’ve lost hundreds of millions of pounds from the police budget. We’ve had to reduce police staff. We’ve had to sell off police stations,” he told Sky News.

“It’s simply not possible for a global city like London to carry on keeping our citizens, visitors and businesses safe if the government carries on making the cuts they’ve been making.”

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Emergency responders work outside Parsons Green Underground station in London after Friday’s explosion.

(Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP/Getty Images)

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Forensics officers in protective gear were at the scene of Friday’s terrorist attack at Parsons Green subway station in London.

(Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)

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In a photo provided by police, flames rise from an improvised device left in a shopping bag on a London train before it exploded Friday, injuring 22 people.

(AFP/Getty Images)