Local escapes terror attack
SA student tells of her near-miss on London Bridge
ADURBAN girl living in the UK is urging South Africans to protect one another after she narrowly escaped the terror attack on London Bridge.
Tash Massen, 22, was shaken by the events that unfolded before her.
Massen, of Brindhaven, Verulam, is studying paediatrics at Regent’s University in London.
In what started as a fun night out, Massen was driving over London Bridge with friends moments before a van ploughed into pedestrians.
“We were stuck in traffic when a friend looked in the rear-view mirror and said, ‘Wow, that van is coming towards us really fast’.
“The van sped past us and hit a large group of people,” she said.
Chaos ensued as the revellers realised the accident was no ordinary collision.
“It took a minute to process what was happening,” said Massen. “Once we realised it was an attack, my friends and I shouted to everyone to get off the bridge. Then we saw men leave the van and run towards a pub.”
Three men, armed with knives, headed for Borough Market, where they killed eight people and injured dozens.
“We heard gunshots and people screaming. They were just running for their lives,” Massen said.
The three were shot dead by police. They were later identified, with one already listed as suspicious.
The Amaq News Agency, associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, claimed the attackers were IS militants.
Caught up in the turmoil, Massen and her friends were only able to leave the city the next morning and were thankful to be alive.
The attack was the third such incident this year and had the police on high alert.
“The atmosphere in London right now is tense, especially since one of the attackers worked on the tube. Everyone fears they could be a victim,” she said.
Massen has not returned to the city since the tragedy. She said she didn’t think she would have the emotional strength to see the bridge as it would bring to mind the brutality of what took place there.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned the rise in hate crimes against Muslims in the aftermath of the attack.
Massen said she had also noticed discrimination against those wearing clothing associated with Islam.
She urged South Africans to take pride in a culture of unity and the safety of not being in a wartorn country.
“Protect each other and always be proudly South African,” she said.
Private forensic investigator Warren Lamont of Intelligence Bureau SA said: “There has been no imminent threat of terrorism in South Africa for some time, and this is still the case, but we must be on our guard.”
The case of the Azaadville Thulsie twins is ongoing and still to be heard in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
Arrested last year, they were accused of planning to set off explosives at the US Embassy and at religious institutions.
The twins face charges that include contravening the 2004 Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act.