LONDON — Two British military horses — one of them apparently covered in blood — were seen Wednesday galloping loose and riderless through central London.

The animals broke free during regular exercises, and a number of people and horses were injured during the incident at the heart of the British capital, according to a statement from the British Army.

A person was thrown from one of the horses not far from St. Paul’s Cathedral and was receiving treatment from first responders, the London Ambulance Service said.

“The incident is still ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners,” the ambulance service said.

The animals were filmed and photographed careening past downtown landmarks and running into several vehicles during the morning rush hour.

The horses bolted around 8 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) and by 10:30 a.m. the Army said the animals had been contained and returned to camp.

“A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention,” it said in a statement.

Local police said in a statement that they were “pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”

Earlier, the city’s Metropolitan Police said it was working with the Army to locate the animals. Just before 10 a.m. local (5 a.m. ET) the City of London Police, which oversees a small part of the capital, said it had contained two horses near Limehouse and were waiting for an Army horsebox to collect them.

The exact origin of the horses could not be immediately confirmed but the area they were roaming is one regularly patrolled by the Household Guards, an elite unit of the British Army that participates in royal ceremonial displays.

Some users on social media reflected that the dramatic scenes resembled a portent for some apocalyptic event, though it was unclear whether their being caught would ward off such a scenario.