How the London Bridge terror attack unfolded leaving seven dead and dozens critically injured
TODAY is the two year anniversary of the 2017 attack at London Bridge. The incident was over within eight minutes but left a permanent mark.
But in the brief period before, the three jihadis left a harrowing trail of bloodshed and death. Here we show how the nightmare unfolded.
10:07 – London Bridge
First reports of a van speeding south across London Bridge at 50mph and running into bystanders.
Witness Mark Roberts describes how one person was knocked “about 20 feet into the air”, adding: “There were five or six people on the ground that were not moving. It looked to me that the van was aiming at the people.”
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10:08pm – Borough Market
The van mounts the pavement on Borough High Street, smashing into railings next to The Barrowboy & Banker pub next to the Boro Bistro restaurant.
Three men jump from the van and start stabbing people on the street, shouting: “This is for Allah!” A cab driver called Chris said: “They were stabbing people at random. I saw a young girl stabbed in the chest.”
10:09pm – Borough Market
Heading a few yards south towards the pubs and markets of Borough Market, the attackers stabbed people both inside and outside venues, including three victims at the Black & Blue steak restaurant.
A witness, who says that he and others started throwing bottles and chairs at an attacker, describes how the man entered the Mexican El Pastor restaurant “armed with a knife, about a foot long, and stabbed a lady – maybe a waitress.”
Some venues pull down their metal shutters and barricade their customers inside.
There are also reports of stabbings outside the Southwark Tavern, and inside Brindisa tapas restaurant.
10:14pm – Borough Market
Six minutes after the first call, paramedics and specialist response teams arrive.
Gerard Vowls, 47, who had been watching the Champions League final at the Ship pub, says he saw a woman being stabbed by three men 10 or 15 times.
He said: “She was going, “Help me, help me! “ and I couldn’t do anything.”
Another witness, who gave his name as Ben, describes a terrorist stabbing a victim “fairly calmly” three times, adding: “It looked [like] the man had been trying to intervene. He was being stabbed quite coldly and he slumped to the ground.”
10:16pm – Borough Market
Just eight minutes after they received the first call, armed police shoot the three attackers dead outside the Wheatsheaf pub.
One eyewitness says police had also fired shots into Brindisa.
The suspects were wearing fake explosive vests. The police evacuate a large zone around the London Bridge and Borough areas, with people told to flee, or hide inside.
A video shot inside German bar Katzenjammers show police ordering customers to lie on the floor.