MANCHESTER ARENA BLAST: 19 DEAD AND
ABOUT 50 HURT
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-40007886#
The blast happened at about 22:35 BST on Monday following a
pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande.
The cause is unknown but PM Theresa May said her thoughts
were with those affected by "what is being treated by the police as an
appalling terrorist attack".
British Transport Police said the explosion was in the
arena's foyer.
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford said senior
counter-terrorism officers were assembling in London and liaising with the Home
Office.
Unconfirmed reports from two unnamed US officials suggested
the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.
The BBC's Tim Ashburner, who is at the scene, spoke to some
volunteer paramedics who treated the injured for "shrapnel-like
injuries".
Shortly after the blast Manchester Victoria
station, which is close to the concert venue, was closed and all trains
cancelled.
Greater Manchester Police carried out a
precautionary controlled explosion in the Cathedral Garden area of the city at
about 01:32. The force confirmed it was not a suspicious item.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said her
thoughts are with the victims and families of those affected in "what is
being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack".
Greater Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham
said: "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."
'Screaming
and running'
A number of eyewitnesses have described the confusion in the
aftermath.
Andy Holey, who had gone to the arena to pick up his wife and
daughter who had been at the concert, said: "As I was waiting, an
explosion went off and it threw me about 30ft from one set of doors to the
other set of doors.
"When I got up I saw bodies lying on the ground. My
first thought was to go into the arena to try to find my family.
"When I couldn't find them, I went outside with the
police and fire and looked through some of the bodies to try and find my wife
and daughter.
"I managed to find them eventually and they're OK.
"It was definitely an explosion and it was some force.
It happened near the box office at the entrance to the Arena."
Emma Johnson said she and her husband were at
the arena to pick up their daughters, aged 15 and 17.
"It was definitely a bomb. It was
definitely in the foyer," she told BBC Radio Manchester.
"We were stood at the top of the stairs
and the glass exploded - it was near to where they were selling the
merchandise.
"The whole building shook. There was a
blast and then a flash of fire afterwards. There were bodies everywhere."
At
the scene: Tom Mullen BBC News
The police activity around the arena has been huge. There are
blue flashing lights and cordons seemingly on almost every street corner.
A wide area around the venue itself has been completely taped
off, and the crime scene appears to be widening, with police pushing people
further and further back.
I've spoken to people who are shaken, scared and often
tearful. One thing that's apparent is there are many, many young people, some
of them with parents or guardians. One mother told me her priority was simply
to get her daughters home.
Other people have been more candid and have described seeing
people covered in blood, or being treated by paramedics. There's still a huge
sense of confusion and people are constantly searching for information while
letting their families know they're safe.
Josh Elliott, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said he was
shocked by news of the fatalities.
"A bang went off and everyone stopped and screamed... we
basically hit the deck," he said
"It was bedlam… it was horrific.
"We got up when we thought it was safe and got out as
quickly as possible.
"People were just crying and in tears... police cars
were everywhere.
"We just wanted to get out as quickly as possible
because we didn't know what was going on."
The background - Ian Youngs, BBC News entertainment reporter
Manchester Arena, formerly known as the MEN Arena, is the
biggest indoor venue in the city with a capacity of around 18,000 for concerts.
The arena foyer connects with Victoria train and tram
station, a major hub on the northern edge of the city centre.
The arena regularly hosts concerts by major stars like Ariana
Grande - a 23-year-old American TV teen actress-turned-pop star.
She's a big draw for young fans, with hits including Problem,
featuring Iggy Azalea, which hit number one in the UK in 2014; and Side To
Side, featuring Nicki Minaj, which reached number four last year.
She's currently on a European tour - she's already played
Birmingham and Dublin and is due to be at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday
and Thursday.
Michelle Sullivan, from Huddersfield, was attending the
concert with her daughters, aged 12 and 15.
"It was really scary," she said. "Just as the
lights have gone down we heard a really loud explosion... Everybody screamed.
"When we got out they just said 'keep on running, keep
on running'."
Pat Carney, Manchester City Council's spokesman
for the city centre, said the city's thoughts were with the families of those
killed and injured.
"It's a very easy target - a concert hall
where young people are enjoying music," he said.
"The public are really co-operating by
staying away from what is basically now a crime site.
"The world we live in, police and the
council have emergency procedures that we practise all the time.
"Obviously everyone in the city is
shocked, having seen how young some of these people are
"The police are treating it as a live
site, we don't know if this is the end or there are other incidents in that
area... we don't know at the moment."
Image
copyrightMARK
MCGREGOR
Within an hour of reports of the incident
emerging, people began offering spare rooms and beds to people stranded in the
city using the hashtag #RoomForManchester.
Hundreds of tweets offering places to stay are
being shared and re-tweeted thousands of times.
Summary
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-england-manchester-40007967
1.
Greater Manchester Police say 19 are confirmed dead
2.
About 50 more people were injured in the blast at Manchester Arena
following an Ariana Grande concert
3.
Police say they are treating it as a terrorist incident
4.
Prime Minister Theresa May says her thoughts are with the victims,
describing the attack as 'appalling'
5.
A controlled explosion was carried out on a second suspect device
but police later said it was abandoned clothing
6.
Rail lines blocked at nearby Manchester Victoria station
7.
A spokesman for the singer confirms she is unharmed
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário