Manchester Arena: police confirm 'there are a number of fatalities' after reports of explosion at Ariana Grande concert

At least 19 dead, 50 injured, in suspected terrorist bombing in Manchester.

Greater Manchester police have warned people to stay away from the area while they deal with the emergency at pop concert.

At least 19 people have been killed and 50 injured in what is being investigated as a suspected suicide bombing of a crowded pop concert in Manchester, the most deadly attack in Britain in a decade.

The horror unfolded at around 10.30pm on Monday at the end of a concert by the American singer Ariana Grande, whose music is popular with children and teenagers.

The attack, which took place in the foyer area of the arena, left hundreds of people fleeing in terror, with young people at the concert separated from their parents in the chaos. It left carnage inside the concert venue, with medics describing treating wounds consistent with shrapnel injury.

One witness said he could see nuts and bolts strewn on the floor of the foyer after the attack, which could suggest a nail bomb was involved.

Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, said: “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.”

The attack came less than three weeks before Britain’s general election on 8 June and May has suspended her campaign, as have the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National party. Labor is expected to follow suit.

The PM will chair an emergency meeting of the government’s crisis committee, Cobra, at 9am on Tuesday.

Initial examination of the scene around the explosion has prompted police to investigate whether a suicide bomber was responsible, the Guardian understands.

The hunt for those behind the attack involves the police counter-terrorism network and Britain’s domestic security service, MI5.

Police said that if confirmed as a terrorist attack, the death toll would make it the worst event of its kind in Britain since the 7/7 bombing in 2005, which hit London’s transport network, killing 52 people.

Witnesses in Manchester described how, after the concert had finished, the house lights came up and then a loud bang was heard. Majid Khan, 22, said: “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.”

Oliver Jones, 17, who attended with his 19-year-old sister, said: “The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.”People outside the concert were visibly upset, as a cacophony of sirens were heard and police and ambulance vehicles arrived at the scene.

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, “Everyone started screaming and we nearly got trampled on. There was a burning smell.”

Another person at the concert, a woman with her husband and three young children, said there was a loud bang as the concert ended. She said: “I just freaked. Everyone started screaming. We did not see any explosion but it smelled bad, like burning.”

The attack happened despite years of warnings and tightening of security, especially around crowded paces.

Investigators will want to find out who carried out the attack and for what reason. They will also investigate where the material for the suspected device was bought and how it was designed.

Since the attack on London in 2005, measures have been put in place to restrict the purchase of materials that can be used to make homemade explosives.

The Manchester attack came after weeks of heightened activity and disrupted plots by police and MI5. In March, four people and the attacker died after an attack on Westminster, central London, which targeted the Houses of Parliament.

The terrorist threat level for Britain is at severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. Security is expected to be reviewed for major venues in Britain and elsewhere.

In the US the Department of Homeland Security warned of extra security measures: “The public may experience increased security in and around public places and events as officials take additional precautions.”

In a statement just before 3am, Ian Hopkins, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police, said the police had received reports of an explosion at 10.33pm at the conclusion of the Ariana Grande concert.

“We are currently treating this as a terrorist incident until we have further information, we are working closely with national counter-terrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners.

“This is clearly a very concerning time for everyone. We are doing all that we can, working with local and national agencies to support those affected as we gather information about what happened last night.”

Hopkins urged people to remain vigilant and to stay away from the area of the attack so emergency services could continue their work.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, tweeted his sympathy for the victims: “Terrible incident in Manchester. My thoughts are with all those affected and our brilliant emergency services.”

The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, said: “This is a shocking and horrific attack targeting children and young people who were simply enjoying a concert,” and paid tribute to the emergency services.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said the incident was “horrifying”.

“If it is confirmed this was a terrorist attack it is a monstrous act but also a deeply futile one. Manchester is a proud and strong city and we will not allow those who seek to sow fear and division to achieve their aims.

“We give heartfelt thanks to our emergency services for their response and council staff are doing all they can to support.”

The metro mayor of Greater Manchester, 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.”

The Manchester Arena has a 21,000 capacity and is one of the largest music venues in Europe.

The ambulance service covering Manchester, which is dealing with a significant toll of wounded people, asked people only to contact them in a life threatening situation because of the “large number of resources” at the incident.

08.15 CET Update - 22 dead, injured now 59.   LL

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/22/manchester-arena-police-explosion-ariana-grande-concert-england

Ariana Grande Suspends World Tour After Terrorist Bombing.

Ariana Grande, 23, is absolutely devastated after her concert in Manchester, England ended in mass hysteria on May 22. The singer suspended her world tour after 22 fans were killed and 500 others injured from an explosion caused by a nail bomb, according to TMZ. She’ll no longer be taking the stage for her scheduled gig in London on May 25 and she’s put everything on hold. Ariana was slated to perform in England, Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland. Ariana tweeted, “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so sorry. i don’t have words.”

http://hollywoodlife.com/2017/05/22/ariana-grande-suspends-world-tour-bombing-explosion-deaths/

This story was breaking just as I turned in, and I was hoping it would turn out to be 'just' a generator, or maybe some fool throwing flares and causing a panic.

Horrible, just horrible.

http://news.sky.com/story/live-manchester-arena-explosion-10889465

Effing religion of peace, yet again.

This was the scene inside the Manchester Arena last night after the suspected terror attack at the teen concert

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4531940/Emergency-services-rush-Manchester-Arena.html#ixzz4ht1wOrIv
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I am sure the handwringers will be along shortly to light candles, pray for Manchester, change twavatars and announce that #IstandwithManchester and make all the other mealy-mouthed, empty gestures that change nothing, but allow the virtue-signallers to demonstrate how nice they are, how tolerant!

They do it every single time innocents are blown to pieces by this evil death cult.

Just seen on TV that the bomber was wearing a suicide vest and died in the blast. LL

Good, at least we won't have to waste taxpayers' money on feeding him or paying for appeals over his supposed human rights.

It would be more fitting if the police scraped up any bits left of the cowardly shit and fed them to pigs in front of the camera.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15302918.Homeless_man_cradled_dying_woman_after_Manchester_explosion/

A rough sleeper has tearfully described the moment a woman died in his arms from the explosion set off as fans left the Manchester Arena.

At the time of the blast Chris Parker, 33, was in the foyer area of the venue where he regularly goes to beg for money as concert crowds head home.

He recalled: "Everyone was piling out, all happy and everything else. As people were coming out of the glass doors I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.

"It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help.

"There was people lying on the floor everywhere.

"I saw a little girl ... she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said 'where is your mum and daddy?' She said 'my dad is at work, my mum is up there'."

He said he thought the child's mother had died from her injuries.

Mr Parker, who has slept rough in the city for about a year, said he also tended to a woman aged in her 60s who was badly hurt from the bombing with serious leg and head injuries.

He said: "She passed away in my arms. She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family.

"I haven't stopped crying.

"The most shocking part of it is that it was a kids' concert.

"There were nuts and bolts all over the floor. People had holes in their back.

"It's the screams I can't get over and the smell ... I don't like to say it but it smelled like burning flesh.

"I don't think anything has sunk in yet. It's just shock."



Must be great to be an islamic 'hero', slaughtering mums and blowing little girls' legs off.

I wish the media would publish every single picture of the victims of this piece of shit, make the candle-lighters look at them and grasp what it is they are trying to 'fight' with their stupid, babyish hashtags.

Laura MacIntyre, 15 and Eilidh MacLeod, 14, were at the concert but haven't been in touch with family since Monday. Picture: Contributed

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/regions/inverness-highlands-islands/manchester-arena-attack-appeal-over-missing-barra-girls-1-4454075

these types of concerts should have never happened if the security measures are not installed, but, when it comes to celebrities, it is obvious that the security of spectators is not important.

The scumbag doesn't appear to have been inside the concert, Pedro, at present, it seems he went into the foyer and blew himself and those poor people up as they were leaving.

Anyway, people have an absolute right to go to public events without being blown to bits by religious nutjobs.

I understand there has been an arrest and that Mrs May left London as soon as the COBRA meeting there ended and is due in Manchester any time now. LL

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/23/salman-abedi-named-manchester-suicide-bomber-know/

The suicide bomber who killed 22 people and injured dozens more at the Manchester Arena has been named as 22-year-old Salman Abedi.

Born in Manchester in 1994, the second youngest of four children his parents were Libyan refugees who came to the UK to escape the Gaddafi regime.

His parents were both born in Libya but appear to have emigrated to London before moving to the Fallowfield area of south Manchester where they have lived for at least ten years.

They had three sons in total and a daughter, who is now 18-years-old.

Abedi grew up in the Whalley Range area, just yards from the local girl's high school, which hit the headlines in 2015 when twins and grade A pupils, Zahra and Salma Halane, who were both aspiring medical students, left their homes and moved to Isil controlled Syria.

There were unconfirmed reports in Manchester that the whole family apart from the two elder sons recently returned to Libya.

Abedi was named by Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins on Tuesday....etc

http://news.sky.com/story/terror-threat-level-raised-to-critical-after-manchester-arena-attack-10890599




The UK terror threat level has been raised from severe to critical - the highest possible - after the Manchester Arena bombing.

The move indicates that another attack could be imminent.

Theresa May announced the threat level change, saying military personnel could be deployed to support armed police officers.

She said: "It is a possibility we cannot ignore that there is a wider group of individuals linked to this attack."

The Prime Minister said members of the armed forces would boost security at key sites and military personnel might be deployed at public events such as concerts and sports events....etc

The father of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi has said son is innocent, and has confirmed police have arrested another of his sons.
Talking from Tripoli, he said: 'We don't believe in killing innocents. This is not us.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4537798/My-son-innocent-insists-dad-Manchester-Arena-bomber.html#ixzz4i1J0M8dS
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TAQIYYA.

Hashem Abedi, the younger brother of Manchester attack terrorist Salman Abedi, has been arrested in Libya.

Hashem Abedi was arrested in the Libyan capital of Tripoli last night.

He was arrested on suspicion of links with Islamic State, a spokesman for a local counter-terrorism force revealed.

The force, known as Rada, detained Hashem Abedi, who was born in 1997, on Tuesday evening, spokesman Ahmed Bin Salem said.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/808820/hashem-abedi-salman-manchester-explosion-attack-arrested-tripoli-libya

Apparently, one of the reasons for the current 'critical' status in the UK is that that idiot was too stupid to make his own suicide vest, which means the bomb-maker is still out there. And they don't normally make them one at a time.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/24/father-brother-manchester-bomber-arrested-libya/

The father and younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber have been arrested in Libya.

The Telegraph understands Hashem Abedi, 20, the brother of suspected attacker Salman Abedi, was arrested last night in the capital Tripoli by counterterrorism forces on suspicion of links to the Islamic State group.

Three armed vehicles arrived to take away their father, Ramadan Abedi, an administrative manager of the Central Security Force in Tripoli, late Wednesday afternoon.

A third brother, Ismail, has also been arrested after police raids in the UK. The family are believed to live between Manchester, where the children were born and grew up, and Libya. ..etc.

Oh dear, what a shame! I don't think they go in for that 'human rights' stuff much in Libya? And who has Tripoli just now? I assume it isn't AQ, they wouldn't have arrested him so it must be the ramshackle official 'government' - I think the Gaddafis are still busy rebuilding their base in the south?

UK criticizes US leaks about concert bombing.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's home secretary criticized U.S. officials on Wednesday for leaking sensitive information about the inquiry into the extremist attack that killed 22 people at a Manchester concert arena.

Amber Rudd told Sky News that U.S. officials provided information to the news media that Britain preferred to keep confidential for reasons of operational security. Britain has raised its official terror threat to "critical" — meaning it is likely an attack is imminent — and is trying to uncover a suspected extremist network before it strikes again.

Rudd said the "element of surprise" in the police and security service measures could be compromised by information being released too quickly. Rudd said she had complained to U.S. officials to make sure the flow of information is staunched.

British officials hadn't, for example, released the name of the bomber until it surfaced in the U.S. media based on leaks from U.S. officials briefed by their British counterparts. Other details also surfaced first because of leaks in Washington. More at link.

https://www.mail.com/int/news/uk/5220726-uk-criticizes-us-leaks-concert-bombing.html#.1258-stage-hero1-3

I wondered at the time what Washington was playing at, LL.

In the name....

Grisly photos of scorched remnants of suicide bomber's backpack, detonator and shrapnel on the bloodied floor of Manchester Arena are leaked by US intelligence officials

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4538814/Remnants-backpack-bomb-killed-22.html#ixzz4i2e5RFHC
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Looks like 'US intelligence' is an oxymoron. This is ridiculous.