People in London witnessed a chaotic scene this morning, as two riderless horses, one appearing to be covered in blood, stampeded through the streets.
Riderless military horses tore through the city streets on Wednesday morning (April 24), leaving four people injured.
Eyewitnesses reported that several horses broke loose during the army's scheduled exercise in the heart of the city, per Sky News.
Two of the horses, one of them seemingly injured and covered in blood, were spotted galloping without riders near Aldwych, while images and videos of the scene flooded social media platforms.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) confirmed that four individuals were hospitalized following three separate incidents in various locations across central London, including Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street.
According to LAS, one incident on Buckingham Palace Road involved a person being thrown from a horse, prompting an immediate response from emergency medical teams.
Elsewhere, a taxi driver found his vehicle's windows shattered after a startled horse collided with his car outside the Clermont Hotel.
Meanwhile, a parked double-decker tour bus was hit as a horse crashed into it, shattering the windscreen.
Describing the chaotic scene, Roland, an eyewitness and worker for the tour bus company Toot Bus, recounted the frenzy to Sky News, saying: "I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy. People were running around to avoid them."
An army spokesperson confirmed that a "number of military working horses" had escaped during the morning's routine exercises but assured that all the horses had been safely recovered and returned to camp.
However, both military personnel and horses sustained injuries during the incident and were receiving medical attention.
City of London police responded to the unfolding crisis, with reports indicating that two loose horses were captured near Limehouse. These horses were later transported in an army horsebox for veterinary care.
By 10:30AM, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that all the horses had been accounted for, though the collaboration with the army continued.
In response to the incidents, LAS provided details of their responses, including treating and transporting injured individuals to hospitals from each location affected by the runaway horses.
As the shocking footage circulated online, some people have taken the horses to be a bad omen for humanity, claiming that it's a sign of the apocalypse.
"I see the horses of the apocalypse were doing a test run in London today. Hope it went well," one person wrote on X.
A second added: "Not to get too mad, but one of the horses was covered in blood. This is very end of times vibes guys. The red horse of the apocalypse and all that."
A third person said: "Terrible for the poor horses. Also a cut and dried sign of apocalypse."
It should be noted that the sign of the apocalypse is four horsemen, so at this point, we're two horses and four riders short - but that hasn't stopped people from speculating.
We wish those injured, including the horses, all the best as they recover.
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