Morning rush hour in central London turned chaotic Wednesday as five escaped military horses galloped at full speed through busy city streets, injuring at least four people. All five horses were rounded up and given veterinary care.

London

Central London experienced an unusual disturbance during the morning rush hour as five military horses escaped and sprinted through the city's streets. The incident resulted in injuries to at least four individuals, amidst the peak-hour chaos. Rapid response ensured that all escaped horses were safely captured and received necessary veterinary attention following the ordeal.

The event unfolded when the horses, spooked by noise from a construction site during exercises near Buckingham Palace, broke free. Among the startled observers were news photographers stationed outside a government inquiry and numerous pedestrians and motorists who captured the moment. The riderless horses, part of the Household Cavalry known for their appearances in royal pageants and military parades, navigated the busy streets at a gallop, causing a stir.

The chaos not only led to physical injuries—with three riders and a cyclist hospitalized—but also property damage, including a bus with shattered windows presumably due to the frantic escape. Witness accounts highlighted the surreal nature of the incident, describing the sight of galloping horses without riders as extraordinary and quite overwhelming.

The aftermath of the event saw the military quickly locate and secure all five horses. Efforts by the public to calm the animals were noted, and two horses were found in East London, a significant distance from their initial location near Buckingham Palace. The incident, while causing temporary disruption, was resolved with the safety of the horses and the public in mind.



Runaway horses cause peak-hour chaos in London

So surreal it looked like a dream and a scary one at that. Two of the riderless military horses running full tilt into morning traffic. They caught news photographers stationed outside a government inquiry by surprise. The rest of their panicked run captured by startled pedestrians and motorists. Three horses went past me at full gallop without riders which obviously was quite extraordinary. So nudged out a little bit more to check it was safe to pull out and then another horse came around the corner with a rider on it and just missed my cab. More than one vehicle was damaged including a bus with its windows shattered. The broken glass perhaps why one of the horses appeared to be bleeding heavily. All five belonged to the household cavalry often seen taking part in royal pageants and military parades. They were apparently spooked by noise at a building site during exercises near Buckingham Palace throwing their riders. Three of the riders and a cyclist were injured and taken to hospital. It was quite you see a quite overwhelming atmosphere. Yeah see we're in central London to see a horse with no rider just being led but we thought what's going on there. The military says all five horses were found and taken for veterinary care. One witness's video showed members of the public apparently calming a horse. Two others ran quite a long route. Finally recovered in East London a fair distance from Buckingham Palace. Margaret Evans, CBC News, London.

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