A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London, with police launching an urgent investigation to find his attacker.
Officers were called to reports of a stabbing on a Route 472 bus in Woolwich at 2.28pm on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Woolwich Church Road near its junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
The teenage victim suffered stab wounds and was treated by paramedics at the scene, but died shortly after their arrival.
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the fatal attack.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, including officers from the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance.
Pictures shared online showed multiple police and ambulance vehicles surrounding a red double-decker bus in the area.
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward with information.
Deputy Commander Louise Sargent described the attack as a “horrendous crime”, and said it was a “worrying time” for local residents.
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She told reporters at the scene: “I'm very sad to say that this afternoon a 14-year-old boy has died.
“The initial alert was raised by a local officer out on patrol.
“Paramedics treated a 14-year-old boy at the scene who had received stab wounds, but really sadly, he died shortly after medics arrived.
“Our thoughts at this time are with the victim's family and friends.
“This is a horrendous crime, and I can't imagine what they must be going through right now.
“We are working at pace to identify and arrest those involved.
“I know this will be a worrying time for everyone here in Woolwich, and all the more so given the very young age of the victim.”
Some 10 teenagers were killed in London last year, nine of whom were the victims of stabbing while one died in a shooting.
This was down sharply from 21 teenage deaths in the capital in 2023.
The youngest victim in 2024 was aged 14.
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