Five police officers injured after boat crashes into Westminster Bridge in London

Five Metropolitan Police officers sustained injuries when a police vessel collided with Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday. The crash happened around 3:40 pm as the boat, belonging to the Maritime Police Unit, was responding to a report of a person in the River Thames.

According to the Metropolitan Police, one officer has been released from the hospital, while the other four remain hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries. The police vessel was en route to an emergency near Battersea when the collision occurred. During the impact, three officers were ejected into the river and were rescued by individuals on nearby boats before additional emergency services arrived.

No civilians were injured in the accident. The investigation has been handed over to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, a specialized UK body for maritime incidents. The area around Westminster Bridge and the Palace of Westminster was cordoned off following the crash. Police, firefighters, and ambulances responded to the scene, leading to traffic diversions and the evacuation of some individuals from the area as a precautionary measure.