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Manchester Arena: police confirm 19 dead after explosion at Ariana Grande concert – latest updates | Manchester Arena: police confirm 19 dead after explosion at Ariana Grande concert – latest updates |
(35 minutes later) | |
2.24am BST | |
02:24 | |
Helen Pidd | |
Our North of England editor is at a hospital where the wounded are being treated: | |
I’ve just spoken to 17-year-old Ellie Ward with her mother outside Manchester Royal Infirmary. Her 64-year-old grandad was caught in the blast while waiting for her and her friend to come out of the concert. They said he was in the corridor by the merchandise stand in the tunnels underneath the tiered seating when he was hit by falling glass. | |
Ellie said after visiting him: | |
He’s OK but he’s cut his cheek, they said he had severed an artery. A lot of glass shattered on him. | |
He said only realised what had happened when he felt the side of his head and it was bleeding. He was underneath the seats, by the merchandise, waiting for us to come out when we heard a massive shudder. We knew something was wrong. | |
2.18am BST | |
02:18 | |
Theresa May statement | |
The prime minister has responded with a statement: | |
We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack. | |
All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected. | |
2.14am BST | |
02:14 | |
Police at the scene say there are still a lot of people in the area – the capacity of Manchester Arena is 21,000. | |
Buses have been pressed into service to ferry people out of the area; some local taxi companies are also offering free rides for those affected. Rail services have been cancelled. | |
Authorities are using Out Of Service buses to transport people safely out of the cordoned area #Manchester pic.twitter.com/LMG33Laip6 | |
Updated | |
at 2.14am BST | |
2.09am BST | |
02:09 | |
The security minister, Ben Wallace, has called for vigilance. He calls the incident an attack; police have said they are treating it as possible terrorism, but we are waiting for confirmation. | |
Wallace said: | |
In the light of the attack in Manchester tonight, please be vigilant and if you see anything suspicious call the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789123. | |
My thoughts are with all the victims of the incident tonight and our emergency services who are out there tending wounded and keeping us safe. | |
2.01am BST | |
02:01 | |
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has tweeted his condolences: | |
My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones, my admiration to our brave emergency services. A terrible night for our great city | |
1.58am BST | |
01:58 | |
Facebook has activated its safety check for people who are at or near the arena to let family and friends know they are safe. | |
1.55am BST | |
01:55 | |
Frances Perraudin | |
Elena Semino, from Lancaster, was with her husband waiting for her daughter by the arena’s ticket office when the explosion went off. She has a wound on her neck and her leg is bleeding. She hasn’t been seen by a doctor yet as her priority was finding her daughter – which she now has. | |
“My husband and I were standing against the wall, luckily, and all of a sudden there was this thing. I can’t even describe it. There was this heat on my neck and when I looked up there were bodies everywhere.” | |
Her husband stayed behind to help an injured woman and has a minor injury. She ran to find her daughter in the auditorium. | |
Semino’s 17-year-old daughter Natalie and her friends said the performance had just come to an end when the explosion went off. “It went off and then there was a moment’s silence and then there were screams,” says Megan Ryder, 19. They say security guards initially tried to calm them down, saying it was a popped balloon or a technical difficulty. | |
1.47am BST | 1.47am BST |
01:47 | 01:47 |
Here’s a video in which it’s possible to hear the controlled explosion carried out by Greater Manchester police on a suspicious device in Cathedral gardens, just minutes from the arena. Police have since confirmed that the item was abandoned clothing and now not thought to be suspicious. | Here’s a video in which it’s possible to hear the controlled explosion carried out by Greater Manchester police on a suspicious device in Cathedral gardens, just minutes from the arena. Police have since confirmed that the item was abandoned clothing and now not thought to be suspicious. |
You can hear the bang from the controlle explosion. We were told to stand against the wall but away from windows pic.twitter.com/3OUeCiiStT | You can hear the bang from the controlle explosion. We were told to stand against the wall but away from windows pic.twitter.com/3OUeCiiStT |
1.42am BST | 1.42am BST |
01:42 | 01:42 |
Martin Belam | Martin Belam |
#RoomForManchester appears to have emerged on social media as the hashtag people are rallying around. It is an offer of spaces to stay the night for those who were at the concert who can’t easily get home. | #RoomForManchester appears to have emerged on social media as the hashtag people are rallying around. It is an offer of spaces to stay the night for those who were at the concert who can’t easily get home. |
Transport away from the area will be difficult, because Manchester Arena is right next to Manchester Victoria station, which, due to ongoing emergency service activity, has been closed. | Transport away from the area will be difficult, because Manchester Arena is right next to Manchester Victoria station, which, due to ongoing emergency service activity, has been closed. |
1.40am BST | 1.40am BST |
01:40 | 01:40 |
Frances Perraudin | Frances Perraudin |
More eyewitness reports from our north of England reporter. The Guardian is not publishing the names of children involved: | More eyewitness reports from our north of England reporter. The Guardian is not publishing the names of children involved: |
One 16-year-old boy says he and his two friends had come from Lincoln for this evening’s show. They were sat next to the stage when they heard explosions as the performance came to an end. “A lot of people are saying that there were two explosions, but we all heard three,” he says.“It sounded like a gun shot. At first we thought it as a balloon, but then we felt the vibrations and stuff so we realised it wasn’t a balloon. Our parents heard the explosion from [their] hotel.”A 15-year-old girl tells the Guardian: “There were people falling over the chairs trying to get away and when we were running out we saw blood up the walls.” | One 16-year-old boy says he and his two friends had come from Lincoln for this evening’s show. They were sat next to the stage when they heard explosions as the performance came to an end. “A lot of people are saying that there were two explosions, but we all heard three,” he says.“It sounded like a gun shot. At first we thought it as a balloon, but then we felt the vibrations and stuff so we realised it wasn’t a balloon. Our parents heard the explosion from [their] hotel.”A 15-year-old girl tells the Guardian: “There were people falling over the chairs trying to get away and when we were running out we saw blood up the walls.” |
1.34am BST | 1.34am BST |
01:34 | 01:34 |
Here is Tuesday’s Guardian front page, reporting the news that 19 people have been killed: | Here is Tuesday’s Guardian front page, reporting the news that 19 people have been killed: |
The Guardian front page, Tuesday 23.05.17 – Murder in Manchester: at least 19 die in arena attack pic.twitter.com/SCqddBZdvb | The Guardian front page, Tuesday 23.05.17 – Murder in Manchester: at least 19 die in arena attack pic.twitter.com/SCqddBZdvb |
1.32am BST | 1.32am BST |
01:32 | 01:32 |
Greater Manchester police are warning people not to be alarmed as officers carry out a controlled explosion: | Greater Manchester police are warning people not to be alarmed as officers carry out a controlled explosion: |
There will be a controlled explosion in Cathedral gardens shortly if you hearing anything don't be concerned. | There will be a controlled explosion in Cathedral gardens shortly if you hearing anything don't be concerned. |
1.24am BST | 1.24am BST |
01:24 | 01:24 |
A statement from Manchester Arena says the incident took place outside the venue – earlier reports had suggested it happened in the foyer. It’s very common for details to be conflicting in the immediate aftermath of an incident like this; we will confirm as soon as we can. | A statement from Manchester Arena says the incident took place outside the venue – earlier reports had suggested it happened in the foyer. It’s very common for details to be conflicting in the immediate aftermath of an incident like this; we will confirm as soon as we can. |
The statement reads: | The statement reads: |
We can confirm there was an incident as people were leaving the Ariana Grande show last night. | We can confirm there was an incident as people were leaving the Ariana Grande show last night. |
The incident took place outside the venue in a public space. | The incident took place outside the venue in a public space. |
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims. | Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims. |
1.18am BST | 1.18am BST |
01:18 | 01:18 |
Full police statement | Full police statement |
Greater Manchester police have confirmed that 19 people have died and around 50 are injured: | Greater Manchester police have confirmed that 19 people have died and around 50 are injured: |
Just before 10.35pm on Monday 22 May 2017, police were called to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena. | Just before 10.35pm on Monday 22 May 2017, police were called to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena. |
So far 19 people have been confirmed dead, with around 50 others injured. | So far 19 people have been confirmed dead, with around 50 others injured. |
This is currently being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise. | This is currently being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise. |
1.16am BST | 1.16am BST |
01:16 | 01:16 |
Manchester suspected terror incident: what we know so far | Manchester suspected terror incident: what we know so far |
Kevin Rawlinson | Kevin Rawlinson |
Here’s a summary of what we know so far after the incident in Manchester this evening: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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”. | 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. | Multiple witnesses said they heard an explosion, with one telling the Guardian the blast shook the building. |