Student suffers 'life changing' injuries after acid attack on her 21st birthday

A student and her cousin have been left with “life-changing” burns after they were targeted in an acid attack while celebrating her 21st birthday.

Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar had acid thrown through their car window as they stopped at traffic lights in Beckton, east London last week.

Mr Muhktar, 37, was placed in an induced coma after the horrific attack.

Speaking to ITV News, the business management student, who had recently returned from an exchange year in Cyprus, told of the “excruciating” pain she felt.

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“I was struggling to close the window,” she said. “My cousin struggled to get us away. I saw my clothes burn away in front of me. He put his foot down as we were coming onto a dual carriage way but the pain took over and we crashed.

“We stripped off in the middle of the road, running around screaming and begging for water. We did this for 45 minutes. No ambulance came,” she added.

Writing on social media, Miss Khan said she and her cousin had gone for a drive in the morning, “blasting music and chilling like cousins do”.

She suffered damage to her left eye, burns across her arms, face, legs and shoulder.

Her cousin suffered first degree burns across his arms, legs, back, neck and face, as well as damage to his right eye.

She said she was “devastated” about the attack that meant she would “probably never look the same”.

The Metropolitan Police said officers had been called to reports that two people had been sprayed with “a corrosive substance”.

“Both victims have suffered burn injuries described as life-changing,” the force said in a statement.

“The car made off pursued by the suspect on foot before it collided with a fence. The suspect made off.

“Officers from Newham and the Met’s Territorial Support Group executed a warrant at an address in E16 on the afternoon of 21 June in connection with the incident. There were no arrests; enquiries continue.”

No arrests have been made.

A friend has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of treatment. At the time of writing, it has reached £8,926 of a £30,000 goal.