Acid attack in London

There were more than 450 acid attacks in London last year

(CNN)Acid attacks are a very particular type of cruelty. Assailants typically approach their victims and throw some cocktail of corrosive chemicals on them,burning their flesh, disfiguring their faces and bodies and causing excruciating pain. They are rarely fatal, but all it takes is a few seconds and a splash to derail a life.

Such vicious incidents have long been a problem in several south Asian countries. But in London, the trend has seen a steep and worrying rise.

According to data from the Metropolitan Police in London, 454 acid attackswere reported in 2016.

This is a huge increase ( >173%) from the 261 reported attacks in 2015, and almost triple the number of attacks reported in 2012.

For the six-year period from 2010 to 2016, the number totals 1,805. (Three resulted in deaths.)