United Kingdom: Several Injured Following Attack in a Heathrow Parking Lot

On Sunday morning, around twenty people were injured in a parking lot at Heathrow Airport, where four men stole a woman's suitcase and sprayed victims with pepper spray in an elevator, according to police reports.

Access to the airport, the busiest in Europe, was disrupted in the hours following the incident at Terminal 3.

"Armed unit officers intervened and arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of the assault nine minutes after the report was made. He remains in custody as investigations continue to locate other suspects," stated a London police press release issued after 4 PM local time.

"At this point, we believe a woman had her suitcase stolen by a group of four men, who sprayed what appears to be pepper spray in her direction," said Commander Peter Stevens, as quoted in the release.

"This occurred in an elevator in the parking lot, with the spray affecting individuals present in the elevator and nearby," he added.

In total, 21 people received on-site care from London's ambulance service, including a three-year-old girl.

Five individuals were taken to the hospital, and according to the police, their injuries are not life-threatening.

Commander Peter Stevens also reiterated that this appears to be an "isolated incident involving people who know each other."

The police, alerted around 8 AM, initially referred to it as "a dispute that escalated." They do not consider this incident to be terrorist-related.

Terminal 3 remained open throughout the incident, but access to the airport by road or public transport was significantly disrupted during the day, as reported by an AFP journalist.

Travelers also reported to the British agency PA that they had waited several hours before being able to take a bus from the terminal.

"Shuttles to the long-term parking were affected by traffic jams on the roads following an incident that led to the closure of the terminal area tunnel for safety reasons," a Heathrow spokesperson stated in the afternoon.

Passengers traveling through this airport on Sunday were advised to allow extra time for their journey.