TikTokers captured the moment passengers smashed the windows of a subway train to escape over fears of a fire

• London subway passengers smashed their way through the windows to escape the train on May 5.
• A series of viral TikToks showed the unfolding chaos as around 500 passengers evacuated the train.

TikTokers recorded the moment passengers smashed their way through the windows of a subway train after the doors wouldn't open and they feared a fire at the station.

On May 5, around 500 passengers at the Clapham Common Underground Station in London, England, left a train following concerns of a fire, according to the London Fire Brigade.

A TikTok user who goes by @claire_419 received over 13 million views when she posted four videos on May 6 which captured the chaos of the incident. In the caption of one video, the TikToker wrote they could smell smoke in the carriage, and showed passengers attempting to pull the doors of the train open. In the background, a panicked-sounding passenger could be heard asking what was happening, saying she was "really scared" while others shouted for help and tried to pry open the carriage doors.

The on-screen caption said there was a fire at the station, however authorities have since confirmed no fire occurred. In a statement sent to Insider, the British Transport Police wrote the issue was "believed to have been caused by brake dust which can often be confused with burning" and there were "no reports of any injuries and the incident was quickly resolved."

In a follow-up video, passengers could be seen smashing a window and helping one another climb out of the carriage to get to the platform. Before the uploader climbed through the window herself, she showed the inside of the train which was littered with bags and belongings that passengers appeared to have left behind in their haste to exit.

A TikToker who goes by @taraszlitvin shared a video that showed the events from the platform, where a large crowd of people could be seen attempting to leave the station, while some continued to smash windows and assist others as they climbed through. Beneath a similar video posted by TikTok user @khatrisports which received 326,000 views and over 360 comments, many applauded the efforts of those who stayed behind to help others.

A glass-littered platform could be seen in a later video shared by the same user who showed the aftermath of the evacuation. The TikToker walked along the platform and filmed multiple sections of the now-empty carriage that had been smashed. "Can't blame them man, people running for their lives," he said at the end of the upload.

One TikToker who goes by @Jazzdupp showed a calmer side of the scene in an upload that received 45,000 views. The caption said it was filmed in the front carriage of the train, and a voice could be heard over a tannoy advising passengers to make their way to the rear of the train where they could get onto the platform.

A top comment on the video said they were in the last carriage and there was no announcement from the driver, and the doors wouldn't open, which caused the ensuing panic.

A Transport for London spokesperson told Insider in an email exchange, "We're sorry for the distress caused at Clapham Common. The London Fire Brigade attended the station and confirmed there was no fire. We are investigating the details of this incident."

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