Possible terror attack, 22 dead after blast in Manchester
Posted May 22, 2017 09:16:54 PM.
Last Updated May 23, 2017 04:08:48 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Greater Manchester Police say 22 people have been confirmed dead in an explosion at Manchester Arena that is being treated as a possible terrorist attack.
Police said roughly 60 people were injured. Investigators say the incident began at 10:35 p.m. local time at an Ariana Grande concert.
Emergency vehicles were on the scene helping the injured and bomb disposal units were later seen outside the venue.
There was mass panic after the explosion at the end of the concert, which was part of Grande’s latest world tour.
Video from inside the arena showed concertgoers screaming as they made their way out amid a sea of pink balloons.
Emergency vehicles were helping the injured and bomb disposal units were later seen outside the venue.
There was mass panic after the explosion at the end of the concert, which was part of Grande’s The Dangerous Woman Tour.
The singer was not injured, according to a representative.
Britain’s terrorist threat level has been set at “severe” in recent years indicating an attack is highly likely. Police said the explosion is being judged a terrorist attack unless new information proves otherwise.
Witnesses reported hearing two loud bangs coming from near the arena’s bars at about 10:35 p.m. but there were few further details.
“A huge bomb-like bang went off that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena,” concertgoer Majid Khan, 22, told Britain’s Press Association. “It was one bang and essentially everyone from the other side of the arena where the bang was heard from suddenly came running towards us as they were trying to exit.”
Added Oliver Jones, 17: “The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.”
Joseph Carozza, a representative from Grande’s US record label, said the singer is OK and they are investigating what happened.
The Dangerous Woman Tour is the third concert tour by Grande to support her third studio album, Dangerous Woman.
The tour began on February 3rd, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
From Manchester the tour is to move through Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, through the summer with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and on to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and more.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians “are shocked by the news of the horrific attack” at the Manchester Arena.
In a statement, Trudeau said he was “devastated” when he heard about the “innocent victims” from the post-concert explosion and sends Canada’s deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wishes a speedy recovery to everyone injured.
He added federal officials are still working to determine whether any Canadians were impacted by this event.
