Everything We Know So Far About Terror Attack Outside London Parliament

This article originally appeared on VICE News.

The city of London remained on high alert Wednesday night as police continued to investigate a terror attack outside Parliament that left five people dead — including the attacker and a police officer — and at least 40 more injured.

Shortly before 3 p.m., a lone attacker plowed his car into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge before charging toward Parliament where, wielding a knife, he attacked police officers guarding the building. The attacker stabbed at least one officer before being shot and subdued.

"This is a day we've planned for but hoped would never happen," Mark Rowley, the head of the city's counter-terrorism operations, said. "Sadly it's now a reality."

London's Metro Police said investigations were ongoing, asking the public to stay away from Westminster and the surrounding area. The Guardian's Ewen MacAskill reported that Britain's intelligence community was working closely with police to determine whether the attack was linked to a terrorist group.

Prime Minister Theresa May called the attack "sick and depraved," and praised the police and first responders for their bravery. "Once again today these exemplary men and women ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way."

May addressed the nation shortly after leaving an emergency meeting of Britain's crisis committee, known as COBRA, where top government officials and counter-terror experts came together to discuss the attack.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan matched May in his resolve, saying that "Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism."

And the U.K. Parliament followed in kind, confirming that both Houses would resume parliamentary business as usual on Thursday.

Here's the latest:

• London metro police are investigating a "serious incident" that they are treating as a "terrorist attack" near Parliament
• One woman was confirmed dead after being killed on Westminster bridge, with at least 10 others injured at the scene
• At least one police officer was stabbed before the attacker was shot and subdued by police on the scene. The police officer was later confirmed to have died
• One woman was pulled from the River Thames with injuries after falling from the bridge
• Britain's intelligence community is now working closely with police to identify if the attack is linked to a terrorist group, the Guardian's Ewen MacAskill reported.
• Prime Minister Theresa May will chair an emergency convened meeting of Cobra, Britain's crisis committee, where top government officials and counter-terror experts will come together to discuss the attack at Westminster
• World leaders have begun to share their reactions and condolences, with the U.S. State department offering to help UK authorities in "any way the UK authorities would find helpful."

Parliament was under lockdown for several hours after the attack, with MPs inside the building tweeting updates from inside the secured building. Politicians were later evacuated to Westminster Abbey.

Tory Foreign Minister Tobias Ellwood attempted to give the injured police officer first aid, stemming blood flow and performing mouth-to-mouth. Ellwood lost his brother Jon in the 2002 Bali terror attacks which killed 202 people.

Shortly after the attack, Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed into a car surrounded by at least eight armed officers and taken back to her official residence at Downing Street to monitor the situation. The Scottish parliament suspended an ongoing debate on a future referendum out of respect to their colleagues at Westminster.

World leaders began to react to Wednesday's Westminster attack. President Trump was informed of the situation, calling it "big news."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel professed Germany's solidarity with the U.K. "I confirm on behalf of Germany and its citizens that we stand firmly and resolutely by Britain's side when it comes to fighting any kind of terrorism," Merkel said in a statement.

French President François Hollande reached out to May to convey "the solidarity of France in this tragic ordeal." French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed that French students were injured in the car crash on Westminster Bridge.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, "The very heart of the city has been struck. Our thoughts are with the British people."

Wednesday was the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium that killed 32 people. Britain was already on high alert, with MI5 putting the country at its second highest terrorism threat level, which places an attack as being highly likely.