LONDON — British police want to question two men who may have sparked a panic when they had an altercation on a busy subway platform at the heart of London’s Oxford Street shopping district. British Transport Police released photos of the two men on Friday night and appealed for information about the incident. Panic spread quickly near the Oxford Circus subway station on Friday after apparently erroneous reports of gunshots. But police said after evacuating two subway stations that there were no indications that any shots had been fired. Police initially treated the reported gunfire as a terrorist incident and social media was filled with alarming false reports about shooting at several locations, sparking fears of a terror incident and leaving 16 people hurt in the panic. The area was packed with shoppers seeking “Black Friday” bargains and several people were injured fleeing the scene, including nine who were taken to hospital, London’s Ambulance Service said. “We checked over and treated several patients who sustained injuries while leaving the Oxford Circus area,” it said. “We discharged seven patients at the scene and took eight patients to two central London hospital for minor injuries. We also took one patient to a major trauma center for leg injuries.” Police initially said they were responding to reports of gunfire “as if the incident is terrorist related” and urged any shoppers to shelter in shops for safety. Crowds ran from the scene, reflecting the nervousness in a country that has sustained five terror attacks since March. But police later said they found no evidence of any incident, and tweeted: “Our response on #OxfordStreet has now been stood down.” “If you sought shelter in a building please now leave, and follow the direction of police officers on the ground if you need assistance.” Oxford Circus, the junction of London’s Oxford Street and Regent Street, is one of the busiest areas in London, particularly around the Tube station, where the entrance is regularly closed at rush hour in a bid to control the crowds. Ahlam Ibrahim said she was pushed into a shop when people started shouting. “We didn’t know what was going on, it was really a nightmare,” she said. Oxford Circus station was later reopened, as was nearby Bond Street, which had been closed for fear of overcrowding. Trains were stopping at both. In the first statement, police said they were called at 4:38 p.m. “to a number of reports of shots fired on Oxford Street and underground at Oxford Circus tube station... Police have responded as if the incident is terrorist related”. They later said there were “numerous 999 (emergency) calls” reporting shots fired in a number of locations in the area. British security forces are on high alert after a string of attacks this year which have left scores of people dead. The most recent involved a bomb on a packed London Underground train in southwest London in September, which injured 30 people. A teenager is facing trial for attempted murder. — Agencies