Nine people have been injured, including a mother and her two young children, after a suspected acid attack in London.
Three police officers and two others who tried to help were also hospitalised following the "horrific" attack on Wednesday evening. A ninth person was discharged at the scene.
The family were in their car when they were doused with what police described as a suspected "corrosive substance".
Five of the injured were taken to a major trauma centre, while three were taken to a local hospital.
The Met said that three officers are thought to have suffered minor injuries.
A manhunt is now underway after a man was seen fleeing the scene in Lessar Avenue, Clapham, after the attack at around 7.25pm on Wednesday.
A witness told The Sun that the mother and her children had been with a man when the pair got out of a vehicle and began fighting on the street.
One of the victims suffered “life-changing” facial injuries due to chemical burns caused by the acid, police said.
How can you help someone after an acid attack?
Ambulance officers have issued urgent guidelines on what you can do if someone has been the victim of a corrosive substance attack.
St John Ambulance said it's extremely important to make sure the area around them is safe. It also advised taking measures, such as wearing thick gloves, so you don’t come into contact with the chemical.
"If the chemical is in powder form, it can be brushed off of the skin," said the advice.
The charity warned people not to waste time searching for an antidote to the chemical, and not to attempt to neutralise burns caused by acids or alkalis unless properly trained.
The most effective action to take is to try to flood the burn with water to disperse the chemical and stop the burning, the organisation said. Bottled water is fine for this if it is the only thing to hand.
Try to douse the burn with water for at least 20 minutes, ensuring that no contaminated puddles are allowed to collect under the victim.
While flooding the injury, try to gently remove any clothing with the substance on it and call an ambulance as soon as possible, while checking the casualty is still breathing and responsive.
If the substance has entered the victim’s eyes, hold their eye under gently running cold water for at least 10 minutes, thoroughly irrigating the eyelid both inside and out, the first aid experts added.
"Make sure that contaminated water does not splash the uninjured eye," said the advice. They also said that the casualty should be asked to hold a clean, non-fluffy pad over the injured eye, and arrange to send them to hospital.
Do not allow the casualty to touch the injured eye, as they may have acid on their hands, and do not forcibly remove a contact lens.
How many corrosive substance attacks happen in the UK?
Acid attacks increased by 69 per cent in a year, with female victims exceeding the number of male victims for the first time.
Across England and Wales, there were 710 acid attacks recorded in 2022, compared with 421 in 2021, according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).
Though the charity warned the real figure could be even higher, as a number of "key police forces", including Police Scotland and Thames Valley Police, did not respond to its Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for the data.
