London’s Metropolitan Police have confirmed that a controlled explosion was carried out near the US Embassy in Nine Elms on Friday.
This comes after reports of a suspicious package in the area. The US Embassy in London said: “Local authorities are investigating a suspicious package outside the US Embassy in London. The Met Police are in attendance and have closed Ponton Road as a precaution.”

Authorities initially cordoned off the surrounding area as a precaution while they investigated the reported package. “We are aware of online speculation about an incident in the vicinity of the US Embassy,” police said on X, adding that updates would be provided as the situation improved.
Police later confirmed the explosion, describing a “loud sound” in the area. “We can confirm that the ‘forced explosion’ reported a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police announced.

An investigation is ongoing, and the cordon remains in place as authorities ensure the area is secure, according to UK police.
Meanwhile, a large section of the south terminal of Britain’s Gatwick Airport has been evacuated in another “security incident”. “A large section of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident. Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this continues,” the airport said. X said in a statement that the authorities are investigating the incident with the safety of passengers in mind.