Kiwi stabbed in London terror attacks

A Kiwi man is recovering after suffering multiple stab wounds in the London terror attacks.

Oliver Dowling, 32, was stabbed in the face, neck and stomach, his sister Freddy posted on Facebook.

He is now recovering after a four-hour surgery.

"Doctors are very happy with how he's come out the other side. A massive thank to the University of London Hospital for their tireless efforts in helping my brother out!!"

It was earlier reported Dowling was an in induced coma.

Freddy also posted that her brother survived because the attackers missed all his vital organs.

Oliver Dowling's girlfriend Marie Bondeville is also believed to have suffered injuries in the attack. Her status is unknown.

"Marie has been in surgery at another hospital but unfortunately we haven't been able to find out how she is due to not being immediate family," Freddy wrote.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said they were working to confirm the reports.

READ MORE

• Live: Six victims dead, terrorists killed
• 'They kept coming': Stools, glasses used against attackers
• London attack: What we know so far
• How newspapers in UK and around the world reacted to London attack

According to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, there are reports that two Australians were also caught up in the attack.

"At this time we are aware of reports of two Australians who have been directly affected by this attack," Turnbull said.

.@TurnbullMalcolm confirms two Australians have been directly affected by the #London attack. MORE https://t.co/eivi6iAauP pic.twitter.com/GkKABEKoRT

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 4, 2017

"This afternoon the Foreign Minister has spoken to the parents of both Australians. One case has been confirmed and the Australian concerned is in hospital. In the other case, we are continuing to make inquiries."

Terror struck at the heart of London today as attackers killed at least seven people in a series of vehicle and knife attacks before police shot them dead.

The assault began when a van veered off the road and barreled into pedestrians on London Bridge.

Three men fled the van with large knives and attacked people at bars and restaurants in nearby Borough Market, police and witnesses said.

At least 48 victims were treated at London hospitals and a number of other patients were treated for less serious injuries.

The violence turned a summery night in an area packed with revelers into a scene of panic and chaos, with officers running through crowded streets screaming for people to flee. Lifeboats on the River Thames helped evacuate the area.

The Metropolitan Police force declared the attacks "terrorist incidents."

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said that while they believe all the attackers were killed, the investigation continued.

"We believe three people were involved, but we still have got some more inquiries to do to be 100 percent confident in that," he said.

As dawn broke over the capital, a large area on the south bank of the River Thames remained cordoned off.

Police told people to avoid the area, leaving tourists and revelers struggling to get home.

Only hours before, bursts of gunfire echoed through the streets - likely from armed police - and at least three blasts rang out as officers performed controlled explosions.

One image taken by a witness showed a man on the ground surrounded by police; he appeared to be wearing a vest with canisters attached to it.

"The suspects were wearing what looked like explosive vests," Rowley said.

"But these were later established to hoaxes."

How events unfolded

Armed Police officers stand guard on London Bridge in central London. Photo / AP

• INCIDENT ONE - London Bridge - Metropolitan Police officers respond to reports of a van veering into pedestrians. Suspects leave the vehicle and stab a number of people.
• INCIDENT TWO - Borough Market - Officers respond to reports of stabbings in Borough Market - a busy area of pubs and restaurants . Three terrorists shot dead.

What we know so far

Police officers with riot shields on Borough High Street after the incident in central London. Photo / AP

• Nine people, including three terrorists, are dead. They were shot dead in the Borough Market within eight minutes of the first call at 10:08pm.
• Authorities say 48 people have been injured.

What witnesses said

A helicopter lands on London Bridge after the attack in central London. Photo / AP

• "A white van driver came speeding - probably about 80 km/h - veered of the road into the crowds of people who were walking along the pavement." - BBC reporter Holly Jones.
• "They were stabbing everyone. They were running up and going 'This is for Allah'," witness to Borough Market attack, Gerard.

What leaders said

British Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo / AP

• "This is a fast moving investigation. Our thoughts are with those who are caught up in these dreadful events." - British Prime Minister Theresa May.
• "Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the UK, we will be there - WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!" - US President Donald Trump.
• "Our prayers and resolute solidarity are today as always with the people of Britain in the face of the shocking terrorist attacks in London." - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
•"In the face of this new tragedy, France is at Britain's side more than ever. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones." - French President Emmanuel Macron.
• "I'm thinking with sympathy and solidarity in these hours of our British friends and all those in London ... Today, regardless of all barriers, we are united in horror and grief, but also in determination." - German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
• "This was a deliberate and cowardly act on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms." - London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Major Europe attacks in recent years

The deadly vehicle and knife attack is the latest attack in Europe in recent years. Here are some of recent major ones:

- May 22, 2017: A suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured dozens during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in northern England.

People walking down Borough High Street as police are dealing with an incident on London Bridge in London. Photo / AP

- April 7, 2017: A man driving a hijacked beer truck struck pedestrians at a Stockholm department store, killing 4 people.
- March 22, 2017: A man drives his rented SUV into pedestrians at London's Westminster Bridge, killing four people. The attacker then stabbed a police officer to death.
- Dec. 19, 2016: A hijacked truck plows through a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12.
- July 14, 2016: A truck driver targets Bastille Day revelers in Nice, killing 86.
- March 22, 2016: Suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway kill 32 and injure hundreds. The perpetrators have been closely linked to the group that carried out earlier attacks in Paris.
- Nov. 13, 2015: Islamic State-linked extremists attack the Bataclan concert hall and other sites across Paris, killing 130 people. A key suspect in the attack, 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam, is arrested in Brussels on March 18, 2016.

Nov. 13, 2015: A woman is evacuated from the Bataclan concert hall after a shooting in Paris. Photo / AP

- Feb. 14, 2015: A gunman kills Danish filmmaker Finn Noergaard and wounds three police officers in Copenhagen. A day later the gunman, Omar El-Hussein, attacks a synagogue, killing a Jewish guard and wounding two police officers before being shot dead.
- Jan. 7-9, 2015: A gun assault on the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and an attack on a kosher grocery store kills 17 people. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claims responsibility for the attack, saying it was in revenge for Charlie Hebdo's depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.
- May 24, 2014: Four people are killed at the Jewish Museum in Brussels by an intruder with a Kalashnikov. The accused is a former French fighter linked to the Islamic State group in Syria.
- May 22, 2013: Two al-Qaida-inspired extremists run down British soldier Lee Rigby in a London street, then stab and hack him to death.- March 2012: A gunman claiming links to al-Qaida kills three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three paratroopers in Toulouse, southern France.
- July 22, 2011: Anti-Muslim extremist Anders Behring Breivik plants a bomb in Oslo then launches a shooting massacre on a youth camp on Norway's Utoya island, killing 77 people, many of them teenagers.
- Nov. 2, 2011: The offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris are firebombed after the satirical magazine runs a cover featuring a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. No one is injured.
- March 2, 2011: Islamic extremist Arid Uka shoots dead two U.S. airmen and injures two others at Frankfurt airport after apparently being inspired by a fake internet video purporting to show American atrocities in Afghanistan.
- July 7, 2005: 52 commuters are killed in London when four al Qaida-inspired suicide bombers blow themselves up on three subway trains and a bus.
- March 11, 2004: Bombs on four Madrid commuter trains in the morning rush hour kill 191 people.

March 11, 2004: Rescue workers cover up bodies alongside a bomb-damaged passenger train, following a number of explosions in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people. Photo / AP