'Suicide bomber' strikes at Manchester Arena: Nineteen people are killed and 50 injured in terrorist attack as 'nail bomb near the exit' explodes, ripping into teens leaving packed Ariana Grande gig
At least 19 people are dead and 50 more injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted children leaving a packed pop concert at Manchester Arena last night.
Witnesses told of nuts and bolts tearing into young concert-goers when the blast was detonated in the foyer area between the arena and the next-door Victoria station just after the Ariana Grande gig ended.
Horrifying footage showed petrified children leaping over chairs and barriers as they desperately tried to escape the 21,000-seat venue, which led to a stampede. Two US officials have said it was a suspected suicide bomber.
Armed officers surrounded the venue and bloodied casualties were seen being stretchered out of the concert that resembled a 'war zone'.
Last night police carried out a controlled explosion at Cathedral Gardens after finding a second suspicious device.
At 3am Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said they were treating it as a 'terrorist incident' and that the injured were being cared for at six hospitals.
An hour later, Grande tweeted: 'Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don't have words.'
This distressing picture purportedly shows the inside of the arena after the suicide attack at the Ariana Grande concert - its veracity has been confirmed by the two witnesses
Casualties are stretchered out of the concert tonight after a terror attack in the Ariana Grande concert
Concert-goers and witnesses have described the chaos after 'huge bomb-like bangs' went off in Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande gig
A father carries away his daughter following the suspected terror attack at the Ariana Grande concert
This was the scene inside the Manchester Arena tonight after the suspected terror attack at the teen concert
Concert-goers helped injured people make their way from the gig in Manchester tonight
A child was spotted clutching a balloon while wrapped in a foil wrap following the terror attack at the Manchester Arena
Witnesses reported hearing a 'huge bang' at the venue shortly after US singer Ariana Grande's gig finished
This graphic shows where the explosion took place, in the foyer area, leading towards Victoria railway station
Evie Brewster, who attended the concert, told MailOnline: 'Ariana Grande had just finished her last song and left the stage when a huge explosion sounded.
'Suddenly everybody started screaming and running for the exit.
'We could hear the police and ambulance sirens. It was terrifying.
'There were thousands of people trying to get out at once. They were all screaming and crying. The whole place smelt smokey and burnt.
'The explosion sounded like it was inside the building somewhere.'
Video footage showed thousands of people fleeing in tears from the venue, many covered in blood, as the concert finished.
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A Twitter account - which was unverified - posted this hours before the attack, warning of a terror attack
Abby Mullen from Airdrie, who was at the event said: 'As we were leaving a bomb or explosion went off centimetres in front of me. People's skin and faeces where everywhere including in my hair and on my bag.
'I'm still finding bits of God knows what in my hair. You never ever expect these things to happen to you but this proves it can happen to anybody.
'That sound, the blood and those who were running around clueless with body parts and bits of skin missing will not be leaving my mind any time soon or the minds of those involved.'
Prior to the incident an unverified Twitter account posted #IslamicState #Manchesterarena
It also said: 'You forget our threat? This is the just terror', along with an image of the ISIS flag.
The account has not been verified and was deleted shortly afterwards.
Manchester police treating arena blast as 'terrorist incident'
- Nineteen people killed after explosions rang out at the end of an Ariana Grande gig in Manchester Arena
- Video footage showed thousands fleeing in tears from the venue, many covered in blood, when gig ended
- Armed officers surrounded venue and bloodied concertgoers pictured being helped by emergency services
- Horrifying footage showed petrified children leaping over chairs and barriers as they tried to escape
- At 3am chief constable of Greater Manchester Police said they were treating it as a 'terrorist incident'
At least 19 people are dead and 50 more injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted children leaving a packed pop concert at Manchester Arena last night.
Witnesses told of nuts and bolts tearing into young concert-goers when the blast was detonated in the foyer area between the arena and the next-door Victoria station just after the Ariana Grande gig ended.
Horrifying footage showed petrified children leaping over chairs and barriers as they desperately tried to escape the 21,000-seat venue, which led to a stampede. Two US officials have said it was a suspected suicide bomber.
Armed officers surrounded the venue and bloodied casualties were seen being stretchered out of the concert that resembled a 'war zone'.
Last night police carried out a controlled explosion at Cathedral Gardens after finding a second suspicious device.
At 3am Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said they were treating it as a 'terrorist incident' and that the injured were being cared for at six hospitals.
An hour later, Grande tweeted: 'Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don't have words.'
This distressing picture purportedly shows the inside of the arena after the suicide attack at the Ariana Grande concert - its veracity has been confirmed by the two witnesses
Casualties are stretchered out of the concert tonight after a terror attack in the Ariana Grande concert
Concert-goers and witnesses have described the chaos after 'huge bomb-like bangs' went off in Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande gig
A father carries away his daughter following the suspected terror attack at the Ariana Grande concert
This was the scene inside the Manchester Arena tonight after the suspected terror attack at the teen concert
Concert-goers helped injured people make their way from the gig in Manchester tonight
A child was spotted clutching a balloon while wrapped in a foil wrap following the terror attack at the Manchester Arena
Witnesses reported hearing a 'huge bang' at the venue shortly after US singer Ariana Grande's gig finished
This graphic shows where the explosion took place, in the foyer area, leading towards Victoria railway station
Evie Brewster, who attended the concert, told MailOnline: 'Ariana Grande had just finished her last song and left the stage when a huge explosion sounded.
'Suddenly everybody started screaming and running for the exit.
'We could hear the police and ambulance sirens. It was terrifying.
'There were thousands of people trying to get out at once. They were all screaming and crying. The whole place smelt smokey and burnt.
'The explosion sounded like it was inside the building somewhere.'
Video footage showed thousands of people fleeing in tears from the venue, many covered in blood, as the concert finished.
+56
A Twitter account - which was unverified - posted this hours before the attack, warning of a terror attack
Abby Mullen from Airdrie, who was at the event said: 'As we were leaving a bomb or explosion went off centimetres in front of me. People's skin and faeces where everywhere including in my hair and on my bag.
'I'm still finding bits of God knows what in my hair. You never ever expect these things to happen to you but this proves it can happen to anybody.
'That sound, the blood and those who were running around clueless with body parts and bits of skin missing will not be leaving my mind any time soon or the minds of those involved.'
Prior to the incident an unverified Twitter account posted #IslamicState #Manchesterarena
It also said: 'You forget our threat? This is the just terror', along with an image of the ISIS flag.
The account has not been verified and was deleted shortly afterwards.
Manchester police treating arena blast as 'terrorist incident'
