Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that eight men have been arrested so far in connection with Monday evening’s Manchester Arena bombing, including two early this morning.
Associated searches are continuing now at a number of addresses in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton, where the arrests took place.
The bombing, which took place at an Ariana Grande concert, has taken the lives of 22 people. The National Health Service has released updated casualty figures, stating that the 116 people have been treated in hospital following the bombing, with 23 in critical care.
Salman Abedi was named on Tuesday as the suspected suicide bomber, but efforts have been made to establish whether he worked alone. Currently it is believed that the bomb was not constructed by Abedi.
In a statement released at lunchtime GMT, Hopkins revealed further details of the ongoing investigation into the terror attack, saying that initial searches of premises have “revealed items that we believe are very important to the investigation”. He noted that these searches are ongoing.
Hopkins also spoke about specially trained officers providing support to the victims’ families, making mention of the distressed caused by leaks from US media, particularly the New York Times. He continued:
“It will take some days before formal identification can take place but we are assisting the families who want to provide a tribute to their loved ones. To be clear this is not formal identification and is part of our efforts to support the families.“We have been overwhelmed by the support from members of the public and I would ask for their patience while the investigation continues.”
Latest statement from @ccianhopkins in relation to the incident at the Manchester Arena. pic.twitter.com/xmJe8eh3hV
— G M Police (@gmpolice) May 25, 2017
Manchester Evening News‘ crowdfunding campaign has so far raised £1.3 million for victims and their families, while the British Red Cross appeal has made £808,000.
Source: The Guardian
Photo: Andalou Agency / Getty
