Six people were injured in acid attack Saturday in east London following an “altercation” between two groups.
Police initially feared the victims were picked at random given the spread out locations of the attacks. Three of the injured had to be taken to the hospital for their injuries, and the Metropolitan Police believe they are all connected.
“I would like to be very clear concerning this incident,” Chief Superintendent Ade Adelekan said, BBC reports. “What initially may have been perceived as a number of random attacks has, on closer inspection, been found to be one incident involving two groups of males.”
An assistant manager at a Burger King restaurant said a victim ran into the restaurant in panic to “wash acid off his face.” (RELATED: Female American Tourists Attacked With Acid In France)
“There were cuts around his eyes and he was trying to chuck water into them,” the assistant manager, identified as Hossen, told BBC.
More than 1,800 acid attacks have been reported in the United Kingdom since 2010, with 458 of them taking place last year.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd called for a review of the current legislation in July to make sure offenders “feel the full force of the law.”
“We can and will improve our response,” Rudd wrote in the Times of London. “It will include a wide-ranging review of the law enforcement and criminal justice response, of existing legislation, of access to harmful products and of the support offered to victims.”
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