London on high alert: UK police conduct ’controlled explosion’ outside US embassy, Gatwick Airport evacuates terminal

UK authorities carried out a ‘controlled explosion’ outside the American embassy in London after a ‘suspicious package’ was found on Friday. The update came even as Gatwick Airport said that a "large part" of its south terminal “has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident”.

“We can confirm that the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers. Enquiries are still ongoing and cordons will remain in place for the time being,” the force wrote on X.

Reports indicate that the US embassy in London has been put under a ‘lockdown’ as armed police officers inspected the premises. Several people were escorted out of the building after spending nearly two hours locked within the building by the automatic doors. The staff reportedly remains in the building and around 50 people (mostly present for visa-related concerns) were asked to stay behind barriers while authorities responded. Firefighters and the dog squad also remain onsite.

The official Metropolitan Police handle on X also said that a precautionary cordon had been put in place while investigations remained underway.

Meanwhile the US embassy confirmed that local authorities were investigating "a suspicious package" outside the building. A post on X added that the police had closed a nearby road “out of an abundance of caution”.

Officials at Gatwick — the secondary international airport serving London — also cited a ‘security incident’ at one of its two terminals on Friday morning. The airport is one of the busiest in Europe and operates direct flights to more than 220 destinations.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. Safety and security of our passengers and staff remains our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the airport wrote in a social media statement without divulging details.

(With inputs from agencies)