There has been a significant explosion at a packed Ariana Grande concert in northern England, with multiple fatalities reported.
While details are still rolling in, witnesses have described hearing “explosions” at Manchester Arena, just after the pop star finished performing.
Video footage posted to Twitter shows hundreds of fans screaming as they try to flee the venue after the incident.
EXPLOSION AT MANCHESTER ARENA AND EVERYONE RAN OUT SO SCARY?? pic.twitter.com/pJbUBoELtE
— ?? (@hannawwh) May 22, 2017
Greater Manchester Police has released a statement confirming “multiple fatalities”, with more injured.
Police statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/gaKASukx9a
— G M Police (@gmpolice) May 22, 2017
As-yet-unconfirmed reports suggest the explosion may have been caused by large popping balloons, which caused panic among concertgoers and triggered a fatal stampede.
A friend works in A&E – huge balloons filled with gas popped & there was a stampede because everyone thought it was a bomb! #ManchesterArena
— Jack Murphy (@JackDMurphy) May 22, 2017
Majid Khan, a 22-year-old witness, described the scenes as “extremely disturbing”, telling The Guardian:
“I and my sister, along with a lot of others were seeing Ariana Grande perform at Manchester Arena, and we were all exiting the venue when around 10.40-10,45pm-ish, 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 Trinity Way and that was blocked so everyone was just running to any exit they could find as quickly as they could.“Everyone was in a huge state of panic, calling each other as some had gone to the toilet whilst this had gone off, so it was just extremely disturbing for everyone there.”
We’ll update this story as it develops.
Our thoughts are with the families of all those involved. </3
Photo: Getty / Kevin Mazur.
