It was late on Wednesday night that a total of nine people were injured after an attack involving a corrosive substance in Clapham, south London.
According to the police, the acid was thrown on a woman and two children but several others were injured. The woman and the children received emergency treatment on site before being taken to hospital with serious injuries. A man was seen fleeing the scene.
“Tonight’s incident in Clapham is truly shocking. My thoughts go out to all who have been injured, especially the woman and two children who remain in hospital,” writes London Mayor Sadiq Khan on X.
The police are chasing Abdul Ezedi
On Thursday afternoon, the police released the name and picture of a 35-year-old man who is suspected of the attack. The man’s name is Abdul Ezedi.
“If you see Abdul Ezedi, call 999 immediately. DO NOT make contact with him,” writes Lambeth Police on X.
At a press conference, the police describe what happened as “terrible”, write The Guardian.
– He has significant injuries on the right side of his face, says police officer Gabriel Cameron.
– We know that it is a corrosive alkaline substance. We can buy all sorts of things on the high street, Cameron answers when asked what kind of substance was used in the assault.
The motive for the act is currently unknown and the London police describe what happened as “extremely rare”. Abdul Ezedi is said to have known the woman and the children from before.
The witness: Knocked her to the floor
The 35-year-old is believed to have traveled from Newcastle to London.
A witness tells The Guardian that he was watching a football match when he started hearing screams outside.
– I looked out of my window and saw that a woman had been hit by a car. Her daughter hit the car window to tell the guy behind the wheel to get out, the witness says, continuing:
– At that point he threw acid at her. He then picked up a girl who must have been three years old from the back seat and slammed her to the floor twice.
That’s where he was last seen
The witness says that the man then ran away from the scene and that people started chasing him. After that, the witness heard a woman scream:
– ‘My eyes, my eyes, where are my children?’ She ran up and down with her eyes covered. Neighbors came out and started splashing water in her eyes. The little kid kept shouting, ‘Where is my mother?’
Abdul Ezedi is believed to have used a white Hyundai to run over the woman, a car he left at the scene. The search effort to find him is described as very large. The 35-year-old was last seen on Caledonian Road in north London.