As Twitchy reported, concertgoers fled the U.K.’s Manchester Arena Monday night following what many described as a loud bang or explosion following an Ariana Grande concert.
Police have cordoned off the area and just confirmed that there were at least 19 fatalities, with around 50 more people injured.
Latest statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/BEpLOan3dY
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 23, 2017
Reporters had spotted bomb disposal trucks arriving on the scene, and now, the BBC and other news organizations are reporting that police are treating the blast as a possible terrorist incident and that the explosion came from the foyer area as people were leaving the show.
https://twitter.com/andrejpwalker/status/866797068869931009
The BBC’s Daniel Sandford has details.
To summarise: loud bang heard at #ManchesterArena. Police say "reports" of an explosion as a concert ended. Some people are dead.
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 22, 2017
British Transport Police referencing reports of an explosion "in the foyer" of the #ManchesterArena https://t.co/Tvs0SO13Sa
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 22, 2017
Eyewitness from #ManchesterArena tells BBC News of being blown 30 feet by an explosion near the box office and seeing many injured
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 22, 2017
The North West Counter Terrorism Unit is treating the incident at #ManchesterArena as a possible terrorist incident.
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 22, 2017
Senior national Counter-Terrorism officers are assembling in London. Early estimates put fatalities at #ManchesterArena in double figures
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 22, 2017
BBC reporting Manchester Arena Ariana Grande concert incident being treated by local anti-terror police as "a possible terrorist incident"
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) May 22, 2017
Manchester Arena 'explosion' now being treated as a "possible terrorist incident", police tell Sky's @skymarkwhite
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 22, 2017
BBC says British police treating blast in Manchester as possible terrorist incident: https://t.co/AGpkKn5O6U pic.twitter.com/qg8ZreU0uJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 22, 2017
— Manchester Arena (@ManchesterArena) May 23, 2017
Breaking: Reports that explosion was 'in foyer' of Arena. https://t.co/uLvKV6TJBt
— Manchester News MEN (@MENnewsdesk) May 22, 2017
JUST IN: Manchester Arena: Explosion took place outside the venue in a public space. https://t.co/favwBlM71m
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) May 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/justinjm1/status/866799010346147840
BREAKING: US officials briefed on Manchester incident say UK officials suspect it was caused by suicide bomber -NBChttps://t.co/nJwDYK0AQG
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) May 23, 2017
NBC News – US officials briefed on investigation say UK officials believe Manchester incident was conducted by a suicide bomber
— Scott Foster (@scottwfoster) May 23, 2017
BREAKING: Suicide bomber suspected in Manchester Arena explosion – two U.S. officials. https://t.co/7Rdgkqnmb6 pic.twitter.com/E0kb362wIb
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 23, 2017
Update:
CBS News confirms a large group of young girls are among the 19 dead following alleged terror attack at Ariana Grande concert in England
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 23, 2017
Another ambulance has just sped up to the children's a&e department at Manchester Royal infirmary. Staff say small children among injured.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) May 23, 2017
It just gets more and more horrifying https://t.co/01HW4nK4Qs
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) May 23, 2017
A controlled explosion is to be carried out shortly. #ManchesterArena
— BBC Radio Manchester (@BBCRadioManc) May 23, 2017
There will be a controlled explosion in Cathedral gardens shortly if you hearing anything don't be concerned.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 23, 2017
Word is the suspicious object was just abandoned clothing.
Officers carrying out a precautionary controlled explosion in Cathedral Garden confirm that it was abandoned clothing, not a suspicious item
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 23, 2017
Update:
Incident in #Manchester UK. US citizens should heed guidance from local authorities and maintain security awareness. Follow @gmpolice pic.twitter.com/tUmKsUKfos
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) May 23, 2017
An account from this woman who was injured while waiting for her daughter certainly sounds like the work of a suicide bomber.
Elena Semino has a wound on her neck and leg. She was waiting for her daughter next to the ticket office at the arena when the bomb went off
— Frances Perraudin (@fperraudin) May 23, 2017
She says that lots of parents were doing the same. She felt an intense heat on her neck and then saw lots of people injured on the floor.
— Frances Perraudin (@fperraudin) May 23, 2017
She ran to find her daughter while her husband helped an injured woman. Her daughter is safe. She hasn't had her wounds seen to yet.
— Frances Perraudin (@fperraudin) May 23, 2017
Update:
Latest: Male at scene of #ManchesterArena attack identified as probable suicide bomber, @evanperez & @PamelaBrownCNN reporting
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) May 23, 2017
NBC News: Forensic evidence at the scene including a body found at the blast site indicates that this was a suicide attack #Manchester
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) May 23, 2017
LATEST: Manchester attack was conducted by a suicide bomber, two U.S. law enforcement sources tell CBS News https://t.co/s7joCRfrxq pic.twitter.com/xJCQcKehku
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 23, 2017
Statement from Chief Constable pic.twitter.com/KrjnU3Br0W
— Hannah Al-Othman (@HannahAlOthman) May 23, 2017
As the Manchester blast appears more and more to have been an act of terrorism, some people have noted that it took place on the fourth anniversary of the machete attack on and near-beheading of British soldier Lee Rigby in the streets of Woolwich.
Not a coincidence that #Manchester happened on Lee Rigby anniversary. https://t.co/wHmdPLGE6R
— Nick Short ?? (@PoliticalShort) May 23, 2017
NOTE: Manchester explosion happens on 4th anniversary of the public murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.
Dates matter to Jihadi terrorists. pic.twitter.com/dRhyaWN9AV
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) May 23, 2017
Twitchy will update this post as details become available.
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Related:
‘F*ckin’ scumbag’: Verified Twitter account tweets VILE ‘jokes’ about incident at Ariana Grande concert https://t.co/AfTkqYQORD
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 23, 2017
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