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Manchester Arena: police confirm fatalities after explosion at Ariana Grande concert – live
Manchester Arena: police confirm 19 dead after explosion at Ariana Grande concert – latest updates
(35 minutes later)
1.16am BST
01:16
Manchester suspected terror incident: what we know so far
Kevin Rawlinson
Here’s a summary of what we know so far after the incident in Manchester this evening:
Police have confirmed that at least 19 people have been killed in a suspected terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
Officers said a further 50 were injured.
One explosion was reported to have hit the foyer of the building at about 10:30pm, British Transport police said.
Manchester Arena said the incident took place “outside the venue in a public space”.
Multiple witnesses said they heard an explosion, with one telling the Guardian the blast shook the building.
1.12am BST
01:12
19 people have died, police confirm
Latest statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/BEpLOan3dY
1.09am BST
01:09
Police treating as possible terrorist attack
The North West counter-terrorism unit has said it is treating the incident as a possible terrorist attack.
1.06am BST
01:06
Frances Perraudin
Our north of England reporter is at the scene:
I’m on Trinity Way, just around the corner from the arena. All roads into this part of the city have been blocked off, but there is still a small group of members of the public watching the police vans driving in and out. Some are wearing pyjamas and live in apartments in the area. They said they were woken by loud bangs of what they presumed were bombs going off.
There are armed police standing by the corner of the road leading to the arena entrance and a bomb disposal van drove through the cordon about half an hour ago.
Small groups of people who appear to have been at the concert have been emerging wrapped in blankets. One woman was shaking uncontrollably.
1.00am BST
01:00
Claire Phipps
I’m picking up the live blog and we will continue to have rolling updates throughout the night.
So far we know from Greater Manchester police that an unspecified number of people have been killed after what officers are calling a “serious incident” at the Manchester Arena, at the close of a concert by Ariana Grande.
We will continue to have verified developments here.
12.52am BST
00:52
People are still walking back from @ManchesterArena clutching the pink balloons released by Ariane Grande before tonight's incident pic.twitter.com/hkqa252H96
12.44am BST
00:44
The ambulance service have warned people only to call “for life threatening emergencies” and said a “large number of resources” were at the incident.
12.43am BST
00:43
People are still emerging, shell shocked: a family from Pontefract say they saw a woman stagger out, on open wound exposed all down one leg
12.33am BST
12.33am BST
00:33
00:33
A barman at the nearby Steven Charles Snooker Club, who gave his name to the Press Association as Tyler, said he saw people lying on the ground covered in blood.
A barman at the nearby Steven Charles Snooker Club, who gave his name to the Press Association as Tyler, said he saw people lying on the ground covered in blood.
We’ve had a few people in with panic attacks and in all kinds of disarray. We’ve got four girls here - trying to get them sorted to get picked up. There was a gentleman on the floor with his leg all bleeding and woman with blood down one side of her face.
We’ve had a few people in with panic attacks and in all kinds of disarray. We’ve got four girls here - trying to get them sorted to get picked up. There was a gentleman on the floor with his leg all bleeding and woman with blood down one side of her face.
We felt something but didn’t know what it was - there was a sound like thunder. One girl had a panic attack and another had streaming tears, a woman had a heart attack just outside.
We felt something but didn’t know what it was - there was a sound like thunder. One girl had a panic attack and another had streaming tears, a woman had a heart attack just outside.
12.33am BST
12.33am BST
00:33
00:33
British Transport police officers are among those responding to the incident at Manchester Arena, following reports of an explosion within the foyer area of the stadium at 10.30pm this evening.
British Transport police officers are among those responding to the incident at Manchester Arena, following reports of an explosion within the foyer area of the arena at 10.30pm this evening.
Emergency services are at the scene and we are working to establish more information regarding the explosion and will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Emergency services are at the scene and we are working to establish more information regarding the explosion and will provide further updates as soon as possible.
Updated
at 1.06am BST
12.27am BST
12.27am BST
00:27
00:27
Police cordon massive around Victoria Station, the Arena, Cathedral and beyond. Police helicopter still circling above.
Police cordon massive around Victoria Station, the Arena, Cathedral and beyond. Police helicopter still circling above.
12.24am BST
00:24
A bomb disposal unit has just arrived outside the Manchester Arena. Can also hear sniffer dogs being brought out of the vans pic.twitter.com/SgTPZxMLyg
12.08am BST
00:08
Jade Baynes, 18, from Hull, was told to run from the area by armed police after leaving the concert arena. She said she heard loud bangs and what sounded like gunshots just after the entertainment had finished.
There were just a loud bang and a flash and everyone tried to scramble out. An alarm came on telling everyone to stay calm but leave as quickly as possible.
Jade and her friend Jasmine Mia, 21, also from Hull, said there appeared to be some sort of commotion in the first tier of the arena, with a number of stewards stood around the seats.
Armed police have now swamped the streets around the arena and police are moving members of the public away from the area.
Updated
at 12.28am BST
12.03am BST
00:03
Greater Manchester police say that details of a casualty bureau will be available soon. We’ll share them as soon as we get them.
11.58pm BST
23:58
Footage showed lines of ambulances heading towards the venue, while a witness, Suzy Mitchell, said it appeared the main surrounding road had been closed.
Oliver Jones, 17, was at the concert with his 19-year-old sister.
I was in the toilet and heard a loud bang just after the concert had finished and people had started to leave.
The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run. I seen people running and screaming towards one direction and then many were turning around to run back the other way.
Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers. Reports of blood and people injured.
In so much shock and panic. You see this on the news all the time and never expect it to happen to you. I just had to run and make sure me and my sister were safe.
11.55pm BST
23:55
Helen Pidd
Erin McDougle, 20, from Newcastle said: “There was a loud bang at the end of the concert. The lights were already on so we knew it wasn’t part of the show. At first we thought it was a bomb. There was a lot of smoke. People started running out. When we got outside the arena there were dozens of police vans and quite a few ambulances.”
A group of young men from Sheffield said they had seen at least five people covered in blood and others being carried out by bouncers. “Ariana Grande had just gone behind the curtain and the lights came up when there was this massive bang and a big cloud of smoke. I saw five people with blood all down them,” said one.
Sophie Tedd, 25, from Darlington, said the noise and smoke seemed to come from the tiered seating stage right. “We were sitting on that side then suddenly there was this big bang in the block next to us. Everyone started screaming and we nearly got trampled on. There was a burning smell.”
Updated
at 12.12am BST
11.47pm BST
23:47
'Number of fatalities' in Manchester incident
Police in Manchester confirm that an as-yet unspecified number of people have been killed in Manchester, as well as other injured.
Police statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/gaKASukx9a
11.44pm BST
23:44
My colleague, Helen Pidd, is at the scene. She sends these updates:
One concert goer said they heard a loud blast at the end of Ariana Grande's set, just after the encore.
Group of lads from Sheffield say they heard a bang stage right, saw smoke coming from the @ManchesterArena entrance. Saw 5+ casualties
Armed and masked police on New Cathedral street by Harvey Nicks and M&S after @ManchesterArena incident - sirens blazing pic.twitter.com/hJ7kYtDgdm
11.40pm BST
23:40
Majid Khan, 22, was also at the concert when the incident happened. He said:
I and my sister, along with a lot of others were seeing Ariana Grande perform at Manchester Arena, and we were all exiting the venue when around 10.40-10.45pm-ish a huge bomb-like bang went off that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena.
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 Trinity Way and that was blocked so everyone was just running to any exit they could find as quickly as they could.
Everyone was in a huge state of panic, calling each other as some had gone to the toilet whilst this had gone off, so it was just extremely disturbing for everyone there.
Updated
at 12.12am BST
11.39pm BST
23:39
Suzy Mitchell, 26, whose flat is opposite the venue, reported a huge bang rocking the neighbourhood. She told the Press Association:
(I) just heard a huge bang from my bed, came out to the front of my apartments (we’re on the top floor so have perfect view) and everyone was running away in big crowds.
The bang was so big I heard it from my room which is at the back of the apartment blocks. Currently lots of emergency services going to and from. But can’t see anything substantial as of yet except fleeing people and lots of cars.
11.33pm BST
23:33
Police in Manchester have responded to a “serious incident” at the city’s arena, amid unconfirmed reports online of an explosion.
Greater Manchester police warned people to stay away from Manchester Arena while they dealt with the issue. Officers did not release any further details on what has happened. A concert by Ariana Grande was being staged at the time.
Emergency services responding to serious incident at Manchester Arena. Avoid the area. More details will follow as soon as available
Police responded to reports of an incident at Manchester Arena. Please stay away from the area. More details to follow....
Hannah Dane, who was at the concert, told the Guardian there was “quite a loud explosion heard from inside the Manchester arena and it shook, then everyone screamed and tried to get out”.
She added: “As we got outside, lots of police came racing towards the area and the whole of the Victoria train station was surrounded by police.” She said there were people “screaming and crying everywhere shouting that there’s a bomb and also people were saying there’s a shooter”.
Dane added that police were “blocking off roads in the area. “There are sirens zooming everywhere.”
