The exact product that targeted them has not yet been identified.
Nine people were injured this Wednesday, January 31 in the early evening in the Clapham district, located in south London (United Kingdom) after being hit by a “corrosive substance”, reports the BBC.
London firefighters were called at 7:35 p.m. for a “chemical incident”, which reportedly affected a mother and her two daughters, SkyNews points out.
The other six injured are witnesses to the incident and police officers.
They tried to help the first victims and in turn came into contact with the substance.
A helicopter was dispatched to try to find the perpetrator, without success so far.
" My eyes !
Call the police, my eyes!
»
It was a couple living near the scene who rushed to the vehicle after hearing a cry for help, then the sound of a car accident.
“We came out and saw this guy who took a little girl out of the car and hit her on the ground twice.
The lady then shouted:
My eyes!
My eyes !
Call the police, my eyes!
» said one man, who wished to remain anonymous.
“I chased him for a while, but I was in slippers and I didn’t get very far.
When I came back, I saw the woman who had been attacked… So I ran inside to get some water and I doused her with water,” he told the BBC.
He claims the victim's lips "were black" and "her skin looked burned."
Affected people who came to the aid of the victims spoke of a “burning sensation” after also being exposed to the substance.
Eight of the nine people had to be hospitalized.
Five were treated at a trauma center and three others at a nearby hospital.
The ninth victim was able to return home after receiving treatment directly on site, the London emergency service said.
The three police victims suffered only minor injuries, confirmed the London police, who were unable to provide further information on the state of health of the other people affected.
The British Home Office described the product that affected the victims as a “corrosive substance” with the capacity to burn the skin.
An analysis is underway to determine exactly what was used to attack the mother and her two daughters.