London attacks: What is known so far

Terrorism struck at the heart of London, police said Sunday, after a vehicle veered off the road and mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and witnesses told of men with large knives stabbing passersby at nearby Borough Market. Police specialists are collecting evidence after the attacks killed six people and injured more than 40 others.

The violence turned a summery Saturday night in an area packed with bars and restaurants into a scene of panic and chaos, with officers running through crowded streets screaming for people to flee and lifeboats drafted to help clear the area.

What we know so far:

* Six people were killed in a terror attack in the British capital on Saturday when a van smashed into pedestrians on London Bridge before three assailants went on a stabbing spree.

* London's ambulance service said it had taken 48 people to hospitals

* The trio were shot dead by the police at the scene.

* Police received reports of a van speeding into pedestrians on London Bridge at 10:08pm (2108 GMT). These emergency calls were quickly followed by reports of multiple stabbings in the popular and trendy Borough Market area on the south side of the bridge.

* After the white van crashed into fencing by Southwark Cathedral, knifemen sprinted towards nearby bars packed with revellers enjoying a Saturday night out.

* Armed police reacted within minutes and three assailants were shot within eight minutes of the first call to the emergency services.

* Attackers were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests but were later discovered to be hoaxes.

* London Bridge is one of the main arteries leading into the heart of the City business district in the British capital.