- Title: Eyewitness gives dramatic account of the London Bridge attack
- Date: 4th June 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 4, 2017) (REUTERS) POLICE CORDON AT NORTH SIDE OF LONDON BRIDGE POLICE VAN DRIVING ALONG BRIDGE / POLICE CORDON DRIVER OF UBER CAR AND EYEWITNESS OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON LONDON BRIDGE, IBRAHIM DAG, TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) DRIVER OF UBER CAR AND EYEWITNESS OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON LONDON BRIDGE, IBRAHIM DAG, SAYING: "So basically I turned on to the bridge on the left-hand side here; I saw a body on the left, there was a car with the hazard lights on, it was a cyclist so I just thought it was another accident of a cyclist and then I saw two bodies on the right-hand side towards north bank, and then I had to stop at the traffic lights and I saw two... another body on the left next to the bus stop. I was there for like 10 minutes and the City Police arrived on the pavement and they were looking after the casualty and then five minutes after that armed police officers came to the scene, they were running left right to my vehicle. Five minutes after that, I saw people running on both sides of the bridge towards this side here (north) and then the police officer started telling the people in the car to leave their cars and to run back to the safe side of the river. That's all I saw to be honest. I just got myself to safety. I got my customer to safety. That's all I saw. We were just ordered to stay behind the tapes. That's all, that's what I saw. I haven't seen the incident happened but I saw the bodies that were on the left and right of the bridge." BUSES AND CARS PARKED ON BRIDGE, BEHIND CORDON POLICE STANDING ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) DRIVER OF UBER CAR AND EYEWITNESS OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON LONDON BRIDGE, IBRAHIM DAG, SAYING: "When I saw the body on the right-hand side of the bridge, opposite direction, I realised there was something funny going on, something fishy, but I couldn't justify what it was so... After I realise people running and the police ordered us to leave the car and run back, that's when I realise it was not something, just a normal accident, it was something serious, and at that moment my first reaction was to get myself, get the customer to safety as soon as possible so I just left. To be honest, I didn't even look back, I just wanted to get to safety straight away." TWO POLICE OFFICERS WALKING ALONG BRIDGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DRIVER OF UBER CAR AND EYEWITNESS OF IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF ATTACK ON LONDON BRIDGE, IBRAHIM DAG, SAYING: "To be honest I was born and raised in London for 21 years. I have never seen so many people running one direction on London bridge. So when I saw that happened I realised I had to get out quick. And my customer she started panicking, she started crying so I had to get her out of the vehicle as well. So I can say, the way it unfolded, when I saw the people running, it was a nanosecond, it was just a flock of people coming from the left and right side of the bridge. As I said, at that moment, I just wanted to get out of the car, and just flee the area, just get to safety straight away." POLICE CORDON
- Embargoed: 18th June 2017 15:19
- Keywords: eyewitness attack London Bridge
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016JV4DHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The driver of an Uber car, Ibrahim Dag, described on Sunday (June 4) the immediate aftermath of the attack on London bridge that killed at least 7 people and injured 48 the night before.
Dag was driving his Uber car on Saturday night (June 3), reaching London Bridge area around 10pm (2100GMT) just as the attack happened.
He described seeing several bodies on the bridge and a 'flock of people' running before being told by police officers to abandon his car and run for safety. He said he and his customer ran on the northern side of the bridge without looking back.
Dag said his car was still in the cordoned off area and he was trying to retrieve it by liaising with the police force. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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