Explosion at Manchester Arena 22 killed, 59 injured

[stoka]

Twenty-two people, including children, have been killed and 59 injured in a suicide attack at Manchester Arena.

The blast happened at 22:35 BST on Monday at the end of a concert by the US singer Ariana Grande.

Greater Manchester Police said the lone male attacker, who died in the blast, was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated.

Relatives are using social media to hunt for missing loved ones.

The suicide bomber who brought carnage to the Manchester Arena has been named as Salman Abedi.

Monday night's attack at a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande left 22 people dead, including an eight-year-old girl, and dozens injured.

Theresa May raised Britain's terror threat level from severe to critical and said the military could be deployed to support armed police officers at public events.

Abedi, believed to have been born in Manchester and of Libyan descent, studied business at Salford University but dropped out before completing his degree.

The 22-year-old is thought to have attended the Manchester Islamic Centre, also known as Didsbury Mosque, along with his parents and siblings.

A family friend, who asked not to be named, described him as "normal" and said they were known to the Libyan community in the city.

He said: "He was always friendly, nothing to suggest (he was violent). He was normal, to be honest."

Abedi was named after armed officers carried out a raid on the red brick semi in south Manchester where he was registered as living.

Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said detectives were working to establish whether he was working alone or as part of a network.

Residents were ordered to stay inside as around 20 police swooped on a house in Elsmore Road in Fallowfield carrying out a controlled explosion on the front door.

Elsewhere in south Manchester, the first arrest was made in connection with the inquiry when a 23-year-old man was detained near a Morrisons in Chorlton.

The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the barbaric attack, which involved a home-made device packed with nuts and bolts which exploded in the venue's foyer as thousands of young people were leaving.

Mrs May said the perpetrator had chosen the time and place of his attack deliberately to cause "maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately".

She flew to Manchester to speak to police chiefs and medics treating some of the child victims.

Crowds of people gathered in the city centre on Tuesday evening, standing together in an act of solidarity and spilling from Albert Square onto nearby roads.

The death of Saffie Rose Roussos, the youngest known victim of the attack, was described by her headteacher as "heartbreaking".

Chris Upton, of Tarleton Community Primary School, said: "Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word."

Another victim was named by her college as Georgina Callander, who was studying health and social care at Runshaw College in Leyland, Lancashire.

Tributes were also paid to 26-year-old John Atkinson from Bury, who was named by friends on Facebook as an apparent victim.

Meanwhile, fears were growing for Chloe Rutherford, 17, and Liam Curry, 19, a couple from South Shields, 15-year-old Olivia Campbell from Manchester, Eilidh MacLeod, from Barra in Scotland, Kelly Brewster from Sheffield, and Martyn Hett and Wendy Fawell.

All were believed to have been at the concert and have not been traced since the attack.

A rough sleeper who rushed to help victims at the scene said there were "nuts and bolts all over the floor" and people with "holes in their back".

Chris Parker added: "I saw a little girl ... she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts."

The 33-year-old, who has slept rough in the city for about a year, said he also tended a woman in her 60s with serious leg and head injuries who "passed away in my arms".

[gauldicus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-40007886

Nineteen people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suspected terror attack at Manchester Arena.

The blast happened at 22:35 BST on Monday following a pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande.

PM Theresa May said her thoughts were with those affected by "what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack".

Paramedics at the scene told the BBC they had treated some of the wounded for "shrapnel-like injuries".

North West Ambulance Service said it had taken 59 casualties from the explosion to hospitals and treated a number of walking wounded.

Greater Manchester Police has established an emergency telephone number in response to the attack. It is: 0161 856 9400.

In light of the attack the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats have all confirmed that Tuesday's campaigning in the general election has been suspended.

The prime minister has announced she will chair a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee at around 09:00 BST.

Mrs May said: "We are working to establish the full details" of what happened in Manchester.

"All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected," Mrs May said.

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.

[Dodecahedron]

There's a video showing the outside of the arena, and you see loads of windows light up and hear a huge bang :(

[Spectation]

Let's see if it's another muslim attack...

[mornzie]

Not sure if this will work, maybe someone can sort it but you can hear the explosion on this video


https://twitter.com/FootBoIa/status/...023182336?s=09

[Geemonster]

You beat me to it.

http://www.wftv.com/news/trending-no...ster/525343546

[kokoloko75]

We can see the light of the explosion on the left side and of course hear the bang.

[Dodecahedron]

Tune in tomorrow to hear how the Tories manage to link this with Corbyn/IRA bollocks.

[kokoloko75]

Around 20 deads at this time

[Geemonster]

An apparent claim