Manchester terror attack: At least 19 dead, 50 injured after Ariana Grande concert explosion

Agencies

London, 23 May 2017: At least 19 people are dead and about 50 others injured in a suspected terrorist incident at a concert in northern England where Ariana Grande had been performing, British police have confirmed.

 

Video posted on Twitter showed hundreds of fans fleeing after the concert, while a witness said she "felt the blast in her chest".

 

"We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming," Catherine Macfarlane said.

 

A suspected terrorist attack has killed at least 19 people and injured about 50 leaving a pop concert in Manchester, according to local police.

 

They are treating the explosion that rocked Manchester Arena in the city in the north-west of England as a terrorist incident until proved otherwise.

 

A suspected bomb went off at 10.35pm on Monday. People reported a huge bang as they left at the end of the performance by US singer Ariana Grande.

 

Friends and family unable to get in touch with their loved ones in the chaos were posting their portraits on social media in a search for information.

 

It seems fated to be the worst terrorist attack in the UK since the London attacks in 2005, which killed 52.

 

The arena said that the explosion happened just outside the core part of the venue “in a public space”. British Transport police said that the explosion happened in the foyer near the ticket office.

 

Greater Manchester Police, the biggest city force in the UK outside London, asked people to steer clear of the area. Hospitals were turning away non-emergency cases. “Please avoid the area as first responders work tirelessly at the scene,” a statement said. Many city centre streets were cordoned off and the police presence on the ground was supported by helicopters patrolling above.

 

The city remained on edge. At about 1.30am bomb disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect device near the arena in a small park by Manchester cathedral. It turned out to be abandoned clothing, police said.

 

Train services from Manchester Victoria station, situated below the concert arena, were severely disrupted, with no trains able to leave or arrive.