A police officer and a police dog walk near the U.S. Embassy during an ongoing investigation after an incident in London, Britain, on November 22, 2024. Photo credit: Reuters

British police said on Friday (Nov 22, 2024) that officers set off a controlled explosion after finding a “suspicious package” outside the US embassy in London.

The explosion was carried out by the capital’s Metropolitan Police Force near a high-security cordon in Nine Elms, just south of the River Thames. After doing

“We can confirm that the ‘loud sound’ reported by officers in the area shortly before was a controlled explosion,” the force said in a post on X.

“Inquiries are still ongoing and the cordon will remain in place for the time being.”

The US embassy said in a post on the same platform that local authorities were investigating “a suspicious package” outside the building.

It added that police had closed a nearby road “out of an abundance of caution”.

In another sign that UK authorities were on high alert, Gatwick Airport said a “large section” of the south terminal had 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 is in place. The safety and security of our passengers and staff is our top priority,” he said on X.

“We are working hard to resolve this issue as soon as possible,” the statement added, without providing further details.