- London Underground passengers forced their way through the windows to escape the train on May 5.
- A series of viral TikToks showed the chaos unfolding as around 500 passengers evacuated the train.
- The reports of smoke odor are believed to have been caused by dust from the train’s brakes, authorities said.
TikTokers recorded the moment passengers forced their way through the windows of a subway train after the doors wouldn’t open and they feared a fire at the station.
On May 5, around 500 passengers at Clapham Common tube station in London, England, abandoned a train for fear of a fire, according to the London Fire Brigade.
A passing TikTok user @claire_419 received more than 13 million views when he posted four videos on May 6 that captured the chaos of the incident. In the heading of a video, the TikToker wrote that they could smell smoke in the car and showed passengers trying to open the doors of the train. In the background, a panicked passenger could be heard asking what was going on, saying that she was “really scared”, while others yelled for help and tried to open the carriage doors.
The on-screen caption said there was a fire at the station, however authorities have confirmed that no fire occurred. In a statement sent to Insider, the British Transport Police wrote that “the issue is believed to have been caused by brake dust, which can often be mistaken for burns” and “there were no reports of injuries and the incident has been resolved.” quickly”.
In a follow up video, passengers could be seen breaking a window and helping each other out of the carriage to reach the platform. Before the uploader climbed through the window, she showed the interior of the train, which was littered with bags and belongings that the passengers appeared to have left behind in their rush to get out.
A passing TikToker @taraszlitvin shared a video which showed the events from the platform, where a large crowd of people could be seen trying to get out of the station, while some continued to break windows and help others through. under a similar video posted by tiktok user @khatrisports which received 326,000 views and over 360 comments, many applauded the efforts of those who stayed to help others.
A glass covered platform could be seen on a later video Shared by the same user who showed the aftermath of the evacuation. The TikToker walked the platform and filmed multiple sections of the now-empty wagon that had been vandalized. “I can’t blame them man, people running for their lives,” he said at the end of the upload.
A passing TikToker @Jazzdupp showed a calmer side of the scene in a load which received 45,000 views. The photo caption stated that it was filmed in the front car of the train, and a voice could be heard through a tannoy advising passengers to proceed to the rear of the train where they could board the platform.
A prominent comment on the video stated that they were in the last carriage and that there was no announcement from the driver and that the doors would not open, causing the ensuing panic.
A Transport for London spokesperson told Insider in an email exchange: “We are sorry for the distress caused at Clapham Common. London Fire Brigade attended the station and confirmed there was no fire. We are investigating the details of this incident. “.
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