The Metropolitan Police said "a number of people" had been injured and advised people to avoid the area. It was too early to confirm the cause of the fire and the station has been cordoned off, the statement said.
Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: "My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and emergency services who are responding bravely to this terrorist incident." Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has appealed for calm, saying the city "will never be intimidated or defeated by terrorism". The government's emergency committee, COBRA, is meeting at 13:00 BST.
Witnesses have described seeing at least one passenger with facial injuries. Others have spoken of "panic" as alarmed passengers left the train at Parsons Green station. Passenger Peter Crowley said he was sat in the carriage, travelling eastbound from Wimbledon, when the explosion happened.
He said his head was burned by a "really hot intense fireball above my head" and added: "There were people a lot worse than me."Passenger Chris Wildish told BBC Radio 5 live he saw a bucket in a supermarket bag with "low-level flames coming out of it" by the door of the rear carriage. BBC London presenter Riz Lateef, who was at Parsons Green on her way in to work, said: "There was panic as people rushed from the train, hearing what appeared to be an explosion.
"People were left with cuts and grazes from trying to flee the scene. There was lots of panic."
BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth said she saw a woman on a stretcher with burns to her face and legs. Pictures show a white bucket on fire inside a supermarket bag, but do not appear to show extensive damage to the inside of the carriage.
Courtesy: BBC News, Google, PA, Reuters, Getty Images.
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