Military horses run loose through London

LONDON — Four people were injured Wednesday after at least two British military horses — one of them apparently covered in blood — broke loose and galloped through central London.

The animals escaped during British Army exercises in the capital’s downtown area, throwing at least one rider from their mount before charging into rush-hour traffic, according to official statements and footage posted online. “A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention,” the army said in a statement once the drama was over.

The video and photographs showed the chaotic scene as the horses ran past iconic landmarks and collided with several vehicles, including a black London taxi and a double-decker tour bus, damaging its windscreen.

Teams of first responders were dispatched to incidents across the city, including a rider thrown from their horse on Buckingham Palace Road, two people hurt in the upmarket Belgrave Square, and another injury at a busy junction not far from St. Paul’s Cathedral, the ambulance service said.

On Buckingham Palace Road, where the rider was thrown to the ground, first responders were seen treating someone in the street behind a blue tarpaulin.

One cab driver, identified only as Robbie, told U.K. public broadcaster the BBC he had heard “galloping and looked behind and there were about three or four horses.”

“I looked in the rear mirror and saw them coming right up behind me,” he added, saying his main concern was his two passengers in the back. “Luckily they swerved towards the middle of the road and carried on, but they were going at some speed.”

He described one of the horses as being “covered in blood” and that “it looked like it was injured quite badly.”

It’s not clear why or how the horses escaped, but one of the areas in which they were seen is patrolled by the Household Guards, an elite army mounted unit that takes part in the king’s birthday and other ceremonial parades.

The distinctive helmet, adorned with plume of horses hair, will be familiar to anyone who watches Britain’s opulent royal events. The mounted riders also don a piece of metal chest armor and carry swords.

The ambulance service was first called at 8:25 a.m. (3:25 a.m. ET) and by 10:30 a.m. the Army said the animals had been contained and returned to camp.

The City of London Police said in a statement that it was “pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”

While this pandemonium was ensuing, the clock in the Elizabeth Tower — more commonly known as Big Ben, the city’s most recognizable landmark and usually an icon of stability — stopped without explanation at 9 a.m.

Some users on social media reflected that the dramatic scenes resembled a portent for some apocalyptic event, though it was unclear whether the horses being caught would ward off such a scenario.