Images show the wreckage of a vehicle that exploded after it hit the roof of an underground car park
13:37, 17 Nov 2025
The van was badly damaged in Monday morning’s blast(Image: lazypilot/Reddit)
A man has been rushed to hospital with burns injuries after a van exploded in a shopping centre’s underground car park. The contents of a vehicle exploded when it struck the roof of the car park, near a busy train station, shortly after 10am this morning (November 17).
Paramedics were called to the scene of the blast in Wimbledon, south-west London, at 10.06am on Monday. Witness said they heard a “massive blast” that caused “loads of dust and smoke”. The Met Police said the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
The London Ambulance Service sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast-response car, and an incident response officer rushed to the scene on Queens Road, near Wimbledon railway station.
The blast happened near Wimbledon station in south-west London(Image: lazypilot/Reddit)
Paramedics from the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) also responded to the incident. The man, believed to be in his 60s, was treated at the scene for burns before being taken to hospital as a priority. Queens Road is closed in both directions between Princes Road and A219 The Broadway, and bus route 200 is currently on a detour.
A Met spokesperson said: “At 10:10hrs on Monday, 17 November, officers responded to reports of an explosion on Queens Road, Wimbledon. Police, the London Ambulance Service, and the London Fire Brigade attended the scene and found that the contents of a van had exploded after the vehicle is believed to have struck the roof of a car park.
“The driver, a man in his 60s, was injured and taken to hospital, where his injuries are being assessed. This incident is ongoing and is not believed to be terror-related.”
A spokesperson for London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 10.06am on Monday 17 November to reports of an explosion on Queens Road, Wimbledon. We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer.
“We also dispatched paramedics from our hazardous area response team (HART). We treated a man at the scene for burns and took him to hospital as a priority.”
Pictures posted on social media show a van with significant damage in the underground car park close to the station. The Wimbledon Quarter shopping centre has since been evacuated following reports the explosion rocked the building from the car park below.
“Crazy! My other half heard this massive blast while in her car. Cue loads of dust and smoke. Then when exiting the parking saw this. Wild,” wrote one social media user.
Wimbledon Underground station and railway services remain open.
