Escaped cavalry horses run loose in central London, injuring 4 people during rush hour
- Footage posted by social media users showed a saddled white horse seemingly covered in blood running through the street alongside another, black one
- Medical authorities said four people had been taken to hospital after being injured
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A number of military horses, including one covered in blood, ran amok on the streets of central London and injured at least four people on Wednesday.
The bizarre scenes unfolded in the heart of London, near Buckingham Palace and the seat of the British government, with the runaway animals galloping past bewildered Londoners going about their morning commute.
“A number of military working horses became loose during a routine exercise this morning. All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp,” a British army spokesperson said in a statement.
“A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.”
Medical authorities said four people had been taken to hospital after being injured.
The London Ambulance Service was called at 08:25am local time to reports of a person being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road in central London, a spokesperson for the service said.
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Escaped army horses run wild in central London during rush hour
The City of London Police said they were called at about 8:40am about the loose horses.
Television images showed one saddled white horse seemingly covered in blood, alongside a black one, running through the busy streets dodging buses, taxis and other traffic.
London’s Metropolitan Police had said initially that authorities were working to locate “a number of horses that are currently loose in central London”, before confirming later that the animals had been all been accounted for.
Up to seven horses initially got loose, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency reported, with police working with the army to recapture them.
The army said in a statement that “a number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning”.
The horses belong to the Household Cavalry, which acts as the British monarch’s official bodyguard and takes part in ceremonial duties. They are garrisoned at Hyde Park barracks, less than a mile away from Buckingham Palace.
A number of prestigious army regiments have stables in the British capital and horses are a regular sight around government buildings on Whitehall, Buckingham Palace, The Mall and in nearby Hyde Park.
