London Explosion: Incident treated as ’terrorism’, 18 hospitalised

London's Metropolitan Police and ambulance services are confirming they are at the scene of "an incident" at the Parsons Green subway station in the southwest of the capital. The underground operator said services have been cut along the line.

All three sent out information via Twitter, saying they would update as soon as possible.

Police and ambulance services said they were responding to an "incident" at an Underground station in west London on Friday, following media reports of an explosion.

"We are aware of an incident at Parsons Green tube station. Officers are in attendance," London's Metropolitan Police said on Twitter.

The station was closed, as well as an entire section of the District Line where it is located.

A Metro.co.uk reporter at the scene was quoted by the paper as saying that a white container exploded on the train and passengers had suffered facial burns.

She said they were "really badly burned" and their "hair was coming off".

A commuter whose train had just left the Parsons Green station in southwest London says there was panic after a woman on the platform saw what appeared to be an explosion. Richard Aylmer-Hall said he saw several people injured, apparently trampled as they fled. 

"There was a woman on the platform who said she had seen a bag, a flash and a bang, so obviously something had gone off," he said. "Some people got pushed over and trampled on, I saw two women being treated by ambulance crews." He said he did not believe anyone was hurt by the actual device.

The London ambulance service said multiple crews had been dispatched.