A suspected acid attack outside a London school left two teenagers in hospital on Tuesday, one with potentially life-changing injuries, according to police.
Three people in total were injured when a substance was thrown at students and a staff member on Monday afternoon. "Tests of the substance are ongoing. At this stage officers believe it to be acidic," London police said in a statement, noting that a 14-year-old girl's injuries "may potentially be life-changing." Urgent enquiries are under way to identify and arrest those responsible.
A 16-year-old boy, whose injuries were not life-changing, was also in hospital after the incident at the Westminster Academy school in west London. The third victim, a 27-year-old woman, was discharged from hospital after suffering injuries not said to be life-changing.
Numera Anwar, the school's principal, said a student, a teacher, and a member of the public were injured in the "distressing incident" involving an "acid-like corrosive substance." It occurred on the road outside the school building when students and staff were leaving.
"This is a difficult time for our community," Anwar said. The school was closed on Tuesday "to allow for a thorough investigation and to ensure the school can resume normally from tomorrow with all safety measures in place," she added.
Britain has battled back against attacks involving corrosive substances such as acid after they spiked in the middle of the last decade, and saw incidents decline until a resurgence in 2022. The attacks returned to the spotlight this year after an attack on a woman and her two young daughters in London.
Teenage violence in the British capital, especially knife crime and also shootings, has also been a persistent problem. In July, a 15-year-old boy was found fatally shot in a park near the scene of Monday's incident.
In its statement, police said "a number of crime scenes" were in place. The force said various emergency services had responded after police were alerted on Monday afternoon. Two officers were taken to hospital as a precaution after they reported feeling unwell.
Adam Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, said it was "a truly shocking attack on school pupils and a member of staff." "Clearly this attack will be unsettling for the whole academy and the wider community, and we will be working with police to provide reassurance and whatever support we can," he added.
