Explosion near the US Embassy in London, police secure the area

In London, near the US Embassy in the Nine Elms area, the police conducted a controlled explosion of a suspicious item, as reported by the Metropolitan Police Service.

The incident occurred following reports of a suspicious object found on Ponton Road.

A police spokesperson said, “Precautionary measures were implemented around the US Embassy, including securing the area, while officers examined the object.”

Bomb disposal experts carried out the controlled explosion around noon to neutralize the item. The loud noise caused concern among local residents, but authorities assured that the situation was under control.

The US Embassy stated on social media platform X that the incident was managed and urged citizens to follow local authorities' instructions.

Later, police confirmed that the suspicious object was a decoy. An investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances and potential motives behind the placement of the device. Most cordons have been lifted, but some restrictions in the area remain.

Earlier reports noted that a fire occurred at London’s Somerset House, one of the world’s largest art centers, where 125 firefighters were deployed to extinguish it.

It was also reported that the fiber optic C-Lion1 cable, connecting Finland and Germany and running near the Nord Stream gas pipelines, was damaged, causing disruptions to international communications; the cause of the incident is yet to be determined.