The New York Times has today released photos reportedly from the investigation into the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, purporting to show the remains of the bomb itself.
According to the report, the suspect “appeared to have carried a powerful explosive in a lightweight metal container concealed either within a black vest or a blue Karrimor backpack”.
They’re not entirely sure it was in a backpack – but it seems to be the most likely situation considering the way the suspects body was found.
The size or type of explosive is unknown, but it’s believed that it was a powerful, high-velocity charge which was carefully built to avoid a ‘dud’ by someone with experience and knowledge of bombs.
The attacker allegedly carried a detonator in his hand which contained a circuit board – quite rare for an improvised explosive device. Nobody’s quite sure what that detonator is for, though – it could be a simple plunger switch, or it might have been capable of receiving a radio signal to trigger a detonation.
The bomb was likely carefully packed with nuts and bolts, which were used as shrapnel. Nuts and bolts were found embedded in the walls of the venue near the blast site.
The current belief, according to the NYT, is that the suspect – believed to be Salman Abedi – did not construct the bomb himself. This is part of the evidence that leads authorities to believe that he operated with a terrorist cell or with the assistance of others.
The blast at Manchester Arena killed 22 people and injured 59 more.
Source: The New York Times.
Photo: Getty Images / The New York Times.
