Within the few minutes of the explosion that took place in the London Underground train at Parsons Green, the travelers and onlookers started posting the live photos and videos on social media sites. The eye-witnesses uploaded images and posts which made it clear that there was “mass screaming, shouting, stampede and running”. Due to the explosion, the travelers suffered charred hair fall and burns. The explosion resulted in sending a “fireball” to the carriage of the train and the Ambulance London tweeted that minimum 18 people suffered injuries in this incident.
In an attempt to get the images and eye-witness accounts before their counterparts, the reporters and journalists were keeping an eye on the social media. They started reaching out to those who posted the live account of the incident and asked for the permission to use their posts. While most of the mediapersons were aware of the need of keeping the identities of victims safe and anonymous, a backlash took place due to high number of such requests.
Peter Crowley was also among the unlucky passengers who witnessed the incident.
Soon after the blast, he took to Twitter and shared four distressing pics, highlighting his singed forehead while his hairline’s front portion was burnt.
He shared the pics with caption, “Chard head from the fireball at #ParsonsGreen”
https://twitter.com/cupid5tunt/status/908603353193750528
As he shared his misery on the micro-blogging site, journalists started sending requests and sought his permission for using the pics as well as asked him for an interview or more details regarding the incident.
Request for DM:
Mr Crowley, hope you are safe. Are these images of you? Please DM me if you can respond.
— Sewell Chan (@sewellchan) September 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/ajreid/status/908604916188491776
Hi Peter, is this you? Hope you're okay. I'm from UNILAD and would love to chat. Would you be able to follow and DM me about the incident?
— Francesca Donovan (@Francesca_Don) September 15, 2017
Want to talk about the incident:
Hi Peter, I hope you're okay after this. Could you please give me a follow so I can talk to you about what happened? I'm with @HuffPostUK
— Jess Dodd (@JPitocchi) September 15, 2017
Verifying the authenticity of images:
Hello Peter, I hope you are OK. I work for Reuters News Agency, may I ask whether you took these images?
— Reuters Eyewitness (@ReutersWitness) September 15, 2017
Seeking permission for using pics:
Hi Peter. Sorry to see you have been injured. Did you take the pictures of your injuries. Can we use them with credit to you?
— BBC_HaveYourSay (@BBC_HaveYourSay) September 15, 2017
Peter Crowley gave his consent for using images, as he tweeted, “To all who want to use the images they can!!”
https://twitter.com/cupid5tunt/status/908606750319874050
Twitterati got the intentions of journalists and called them vultures, as they didn’t let an injured man take rest! Here are some tweets:
Charge them for sharing your story:
https://twitter.com/TOPTW1T/status/908607038179151872
Take some rest:
Don't speak to the press mate. Take some time to yourself first. Hope you recover quickly.
— Mark B (@MB3649) September 15, 2017
Disgusting!
https://twitter.com/BradAcceler8me/status/908607297970147328
Beware of reporters:
Rest. Shock is a stealthy bugger. Careful with journalists – they like distressed and shocked people. It'll grow back fine.
— Pipe (@pipehugger) September 15, 2017
In an interaction with BBC, Mr. Crowley told,
“I was on the phone with my face to the side of what I believe was where the explosion took place. Heard a loud bang…then this fireball above my head has come, singed all my hair.”
As per Metropolitan Police, this blast in west London’s Parsons Green is considered to be “an act of terror”. A supermarket bag on the train contained a plastic bucket inside which the explosion took place. The fire department, Scotland Yard and British Transport Police have closed the affected spot. After the unfortunate incident, trains are suspended whereas commuters are sent away. What’s more, this blast has created an effect on London Tube’s Central and Victoria lines as well.
