A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on a London bus this afternoon, prompting police officers to launch a murder probe.
Emergency services were scrambled to a street in Woolwich after being called just before 2.30pm on Tuesday.
Pictures shared online show a number of police and ambulance vehicles at the scene surrounding a red double-decker bus, on which the boy was attacked in front of other horrified passengers.
The incident occurred on a route 472 bus on Woolwich Church Road near the junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
The Met Police attended, along with London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.
Paramedics treated the schoolboy at the scene, but he died shortly after their arrival.
Police cordons and road closures remain in place whilst emergency services carry out enquiries.
No arrests have been made at this stage, with police launching a search for the suspect.
A 14-year-old boy has died after being fatally stabbed on a London bus in Woolwich
Footage posted to social media showed first responders performing first aid at the scene
Police cordons remain in place after a murder probe was launched – no-one has yet been arrested
The Met Police attended, along with London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance
A woman working at a nearby church said she saw an air ambulance and other emergency service vehicles arrive at the scene, but did not see any of the passengers from the bus.
The incident comes just 24 hours after an 18-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after being knifed just over a mile away.
The teenager, who attended Shooters Hill College in Woolwich, is in a critical in hospital after the stabbing in Prince Imperial Road at around 4.20pm on Monday.
There is currently no indication they are linked.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 2.29pm today (7 January) to reports of a stabbing at the junction of Woolwich Church Street and Church Hill, SE18.
‘We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and a paramedic from our tactical response unit. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.
‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.’
Several London bus routes are on diversion as a result of the incident, including the 161, 177, 180 and 472.
Traffic is queuing in both directions and locals are being warned to avoid the area.
Local councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan posted on social media and said: ‘I’m deeply saddened to hear of the murder of a 14 year old boy in Woolwich today. Detectives from the Serious and Complex team are investigating.’
She added she and a fellow councillor would work to support the victim’s family.
An air ambulance arrived at the scene but unfortunately the boy was declared dead by paramedics at the scene
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been criticised for failing to to deal with London’s knife crime epidemic
YESTERDAY: The scene of another stabbing just over a mile away from today’s tragedy – which left an 18-yer-old in a critical condition in hospital
Knife crime is on the rise in London, with 15,016 offences recorded in 2023/24, up from 12,786 the year before, a 17.4% rise.
It is the highest number of offences since 2019/2020, after which there was a significant drop during the Covid pandemic, followed by a steady annual increase.
According to the Crime in England and Wales 2024 report, around 30% of knife-enabled crime was recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service.
Some 10 teenagers were killed in London last year, nine of whom were the victims of stabbing while one died in a shooting.
This was down sharply from 21 teenage deaths in the capital in 2023.
The youngest victim in 2024 was aged 14.
Sadiq Khan, previously MP for Tooting in south London, became the Mayor of London in May 2016, followed by re-elections in 2021 and 2024.
As Mayor, he is responsible for policing, but during his time in City Hall, London has been dubbed the ‘knife crime capital’ and the Met Police has been forced into special measures.
Sir Sadiq was accused of ‘losing control’ on crime in the city, with a reported 38% increase in knife offences since he took office.
The Met Police has been approached for more information.
If anyone witnessed the incident or has any information which may help, they are urged to call police on 101 with ref 3795/07JAN25 or call Crimestoppers anonymously.