Clapham chemical attack: Police find 2 bodies in Thames – but neither are that of Abdul Ezedi
Two bodies were found in the River Thames on Saturday as the search for alkali attack suspect Abdul Ezedi continues, the Metropolitan Police said.
One body was found at 10.13am on Saturday near to HMS Belfast and another at 10.39am in Limehouse the same morning,
Officers said neither discoveries are linked to Ezedi and the force is working to confirm the identities of the bodies and inform next of kin.
Both deaths are being treated by the force as “unexpected pending further enquiries”.
Their discoveries come as officials resumed their search of an area of the River Thames on Sunday after police revealed their belief that Ezedi may have jumped or fallen from Chelsea Bridge.
The Thames search began on Saturday, with a police boat seen circling between Vauxhall and Chelsea bridges.
Detectives believe Ezedi, 35, may have gone into the river after being seen on CCTV leaning over the railings of Chelsea Bridge in west London on the night a woman and two young girls were attacked with a corrosive substance in Clapham, south London.
The force said on Friday its main working hypothesis was the 35-year-old had “gone into” the Thames.
However, police admit that Ezedi’s body may never be found due to the speed of the current in the river.
In a briefing at Scotland Yard on Friday, Commander Jon Savell said: “We have spent the last 24 hours meticulously following the CCTV, and it’s our main working hypothesis that he’s now gone into the water.
“We have looked at all of the available cameras and angles, and with the assistance of Transport for London and CCTV from buses that were travelling over the bridge at the relevant time and there is no sighting of him coming off the bridge.”
Ezedi, from the Newcastle area, is accused of pouring a strong alkali on his ex-partner, and injuring her two young children, aged three and eight, on January 31 in Clapham.
The breakdown of the relationship is considered a possible motive for the attack.
Mr Savell confirmed the woman remained in a “critical but stable condition” in hospital and was still “very poorly and unable to speak” to police.
Speaking about the river search, Mr Savell said: “At this time of year, the Thames is very fast flowing, very wide and full of lots of snags.
“It is quite likely that if he has gone in the water, he won’t appear for maybe up to a month and it’s not beyond possibility that he may never actually surface.”
The manhunt has been under way for more than a week, with officers raiding two addresses linked to Ezedi in Newcastle in the early hours of Thursday.
Ezedi, who is not the father of the children who were hurt, suffered significant facial injuries in the incident which police previously said could prove fatal if left untreated.
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