On the night of May 22 in Manchester, immediately after the concert of American singer Ariana Grande, a bloody terrorist attack was committed. According to the latest police data, at least 22 people were killed at Manchester Arena and about 59 were seriously injured.
At 22:35 London time, police received a report of an explosion at the concert. According to eyewitnesses, immediately after the end of the performance, when people headed towards the exit, they saw a bright flash and heard an explosion.
2.5 hours after the incident, the police published official data on the casualties: 22 dead and 59 wounded. Earlier, the American channel NBC News reported “hundreds” of victims. The stadium where the terrorist attack took place seats 21 thousand people. It is likely that new victims will appear.
The explosion did not occur in the hall itself, but in a covered passage connecting the stadium with the station, which was closed immediately after the incident. The police immediately classified it as a terrorist attack.
There were many children and teenagers at the concert. Ariana Grande is popular primarily among young people. After the explosion, reports of casualties among her little fans began to appear online.
Residents of Manchester quickly responded to the incident: many offered rooms near the stadium so that the victims could spend the night; hotels received teenagers for free who were awaiting the arrival of their parents; Taxi drivers provided free transportation from the scene of the incident.
People were in panic and fled from the scene of the explosion; eyewitnesses can hardly describe what happened before their eyes. Some of them, having recovered from the first shock, were still able to give testimony and first interviews.
Abby Mullen: “As we were leaving, the explosion happened centimeters away from me. Scraps of meat and skin flew in all directions. I still find pieces of someone's skin in my hair.
No one expects that this could happen to him. I will not soon be able to forget that sound, the blood and people running around randomly with horrific wounds and severed limbs."
Singer Ariana Grande commented on the situation: “I’m broken. I'm sorry with all my heart. I have no words".
Andy Hawley: “I was waiting for my wife and daughter when the explosion happened. I was thrown about 10 meters away. When I stood up with difficulty, I saw bloody corpses next to me.
In a panic, I ran to the police and firefighters and tried to find my family among the bodies. Fortunately, I soon met them, and then we quickly got out of this hell."
Gary Walker: “My wife and I were waiting for our daughters from the concert. After the last song played and people began to leave the hall, there was an explosion.
I felt a terrible pain in my leg. My wife, clinging to me with her fingers, said: “I need to lie down.” In horror, I discovered that blood was gushing from her torn stomach."
Louise Tyan and Nikolai Borovinsky: “When we were sitting on the podium after the end of the concert, we heard a loud bang and people running back and forth. There was a smell of sulfur and smoke.
What surprised us most was that no one was searched at the entrance to the concert. There weren’t even metal detectors, only water bottles were taken away.”
Jenny Brewster: “We started getting ready to go out during Ariana’s last song - we wanted to beat the crowd. Walking through the tunnel, we ran into guards who ordered us to turn around and go the other way.
After a couple of seconds they shouted: “Run!” There was an explosion right behind them. These guards saved our lives."
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Latest news from Manchester - an entire university campus where hundreds of students were taking exams was evacuated. A suspicious package was found near the library. The alarm has just been cleared. But according to some reports, people are being escorted out of a crowded metro station nearby.
The situation in Manchester is tense to the limit - after a terrorist detonated a bomb at a concert the day before. 22 people died at his hands. One girl was eight years old. There are dozens of victims, mostly children and teenagers. The police announced the name of the criminal about two hours ago. He is said to have been known to the authorities.
Now the questions are: how did he manage to carry a bomb to the entrance to one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe? Did he have accomplices? And of course, what happens in Manchester at the end of the day?
Manchester. Half past ten in the evening. Spectators leave the indoor stadium after the concert of American pop diva Ariana Grande. And at this moment the concrete structures tremble from the explosion.
The infernal machine was brought into action at the moment when the first spectators reached for the exit. It appears the suicide bomber was waiting in the lobby and was spotted. Seconds before the explosion, the guards standing on the doors began shouting for people to run to their places, but many did not have time. A homemade bomb exploded inside the building, next to the ticket booths.
“I was in the arena, heard a pop and ran for my life. They tried to calm us down, saying that the balloon had burst. But it wasn’t a ball,” says the girl.
The video was filmed on a mobile phone inside the arena: spectators can be seen rushing in panic between the rows of seats and in the aisles next to the stands, clearly not understanding where to run or where to take cover.
The tragedy occurred a few minutes after Ariana Grande and her musicians played their last song. A little later, on her page on the social network, the singer wrote: “I am sincerely very, very sorry. I have no words".
ISIS, a group banned in Russia, claimed responsibility for the attack. But at first, not much was said about who blew himself up along with the audience. The first data from the police: he allegedly fell under the influence of radicals long ago. A little later, the British Prime Minister nevertheless hinted: much more is known about him.
“Our law enforcement agencies believe that they know the identity of the perpetrator of the terrorist attack. "The intelligence services are now investigating whether a wider group of people were involved in planning the attack," British Prime Minister Theresa May said.
The police later clarified that the terrorist's name was Salman Abedi. He was 22 years old and authorities apparently knew the man was dangerous. Police raids have already taken place in two suburbs of Manchester. At some point, the special operation moved to the city center.
And in the afternoon, the police suddenly began evacuating one of the largest shopping centers in Manchester, Arendale. Buyers and sellers were kept on the street for several hours without explanation. A little later, information appeared that law enforcement officers detained a suspicious young man near the entrance to the building, who began resisting the law enforcement officers during his arrest.
A little later, authorities announced a second arrest. The detainees are being interrogated. Meanwhile, Theresa May interrupted her election campaign and flew to Manchester. Here she visited the wounded. There are about 60 of them. 22 people became victims of the terrorist attack, among them an eight-year-old girl. Why did a suicide bomber target a concert in Manchester that was mostly attended by young audiences?
"The only reason they hit the children was to create more panic," says former CIA analyst Bob Ayers. - This is approximately like the seizure of a school in Beslan, when children become the target. This is even worse than terrible.”
Schoolchildren, students, young, laughing faces. They haven't returned home yet. Their sisters, brothers and parents turn to social networks: maybe someone accidentally saw their loved ones? But the search is not only in the virtual world.
Because of the terrorist attack, the police cordoned off several central blocks of Manchester. Hundreds of spectators who managed to escape from the Arena found themselves cut off from the outside world. Among them are young children and teenagers. They spent the night in a hotel. Here the children waited for their fathers and mothers.
Chris and Joan Elinson had just picked up their daughter, Abigail, and her friend. The girls were given concert tickets for their eighteenth birthday.
“Abigail immediately called and a bomb exploded next to them. She was terribly frightened, her voice was shaking. We are so happy that everything worked out!” - says Chris Elinson.
“If we had left a little earlier, then everything might not have turned out so well! We are very lucky,” adds Abigail Elinson.
Investigators are still working in the Manchester Arena area. At the same time, sappers used a controlled explosion to destroy two suspicious objects - one near the concert hall, the other on the outskirts of Manchester. And about half an hour ago, people began to gather in Albert Square, in the city center. Rallies in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack on the evening of May 23 will be held across Britain.
On the evening of May 22 in Manchester, an explosion occurred at a concert of American singer Ariana Grande, which took place at the Manchester Arena indoor stadium.
According to police, 22 people were killed and several dozen were injured. Authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. What became known in the first hours after the incident.
The explosion was reported at 10:35 p.m.(00:35 Kyiv time). According to eyewitnesses, the sound of an explosion (or two) occurred almost immediately after the end of the concert. Numerous videos from the Manchester Arena show people in panic trying to leave the hall.
22 people were killed, 59 injured. The police published the first official data on the dead two and a half hours after the incident. Prior to this, the American television channel NBC News, citing sources, reported the death of at least 20 people and the injury of “hundreds”; Eyewitnesses said they saw 20 to 30 people lying on the floor. It is not yet known how many people were at the concert; Manchester Arena is one of the largest indoor stadiums in Europe, accommodating 21 thousand people.
The explosion did not occur in the hall itself. The transport police said that the explosion occurred in the foyer of the stadium, and the administration of Manchester Arena asserts that it happened “outside the establishment in a public space.” We are talking about a covered walkway that connects the stadium with the main railway station of the city, Manchester Victoria. The station was closed after the explosion.
The investigation is considering the incident as a terrorist attack. The police said they would stick to this version unless they received other information. Sources NBC News and Reuters They report that a suicide bomber is being considered. Source ABC News reports that the explosive device was stuffed with nails.
There were a lot of children at the concert and teenagers - 23-year-old Ariana Grande, who began her career as a singer and actress as a child, is popular primarily among young audiences. After the explosion, messages began to appear on social networks about lost children who came to the concert with their parents. The singer herself, according to representatives, was not injured.
The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack at a concert in Manchester, UK, which killed 22 people. The corresponding video of the terrorists was posted on social networks, reports the Iraqi Internet portal Akhbar Iraq.
British police have confirmed that the explosion in Manchester during a concert by American singer Ariana Grande was carried out by a suicide bomber. He died on the spot. AFP reports this.
The police are confident that the suicide bomber acted alone. Most likely, he had accomplices who could help with preparations for the explosion.
The explosion at the Manchester Arena indoor stadium occurred at approximately 22:35 local time, immediately after the end of a performance by American pop singer Ariana Grande. The explosive device went off outside the concert hall - in the foyer.
At least 22 people, including children, were killed and 59 injured in a suicide bombing in the English city of Manchester. The wounded were taken to six hospitals across Manchester, where the head of the legislature said it was "hard to imagine a worse night in the history of the city." The terrorist attack occurred at a time when thousands of fans were leaving the concert of 23-year-old American singer Ariana Grande, who was making her European tour.
A large number of young people attended the concert. Videos posted on social networks show concertgoers screaming and running away from the scene of the tragedy in panic. It turned out that the terrorist made a homemade bomb from TNT blocks and stuffed it with nail trimmings. The explosive device was in his backpack.
The terrorist attack occurred as thousands of fans were leaving the concert
The suicide bomber detonated the bomb as mothers and fathers were leaving the concert with their children, and other parents were arriving to pick up the young people from the performance.
Yesterday the media named the terrorist: 22-year-old Salman Abedi. According to the Daily Telegraph, he was born in the UK into a family of refugees from Libya and was the third child in the family. He was well known to British law enforcement.
As a classmate of the terrorist said, “he recently grew a beard and behaved very strangely.”
At the time of signing this issue, the fate of several teenagers who were at the performance and are considered missing remained unknown.
A witness who attended the concert said she heard a huge explosion as she left the arena, followed by screams and thousands of people trying to escape the building in panic. "We were walking out and when we got to the door there was a huge explosion and everyone screamed," Catherine McFarlane told Reuters. Paula Robinson, 48, of West Dalton, was quoted as saying she was at the train station next to the arena and saw dozens of teenage girls screaming and running from the arena. She took the children to a nearby hotel and posted her phone number on social media to concerned parents. Robinson said her phone didn't stop ringing after her tweet.
Another concertgoer, who came specifically from the Czech Republic for the show, said that there was “almost no security checks” in and around the building. “It was almost zero,” Nikola Tročtová said in an interview with Czech Public Radio. “The only thing they (the security officers) were interested in was whether we had a bottle of water with us. They hardly checked our bags, didn’t look at them content".
Recently, it is Great Britain, experts note, that “has become the most vulnerable target for terrorists.” Photo: EPA
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed deep condolences to British Prime Minister Theresa May. “We strongly condemn this cynical, inhumane crime. We hope that its customers will not escape deserved punishment,” the Russian President emphasized in a telegram of condolences. Vladimir Putin confirmed his readiness to increase anti-terrorism cooperation with British partners both on a bilateral basis and as part of broad international efforts, the Kremlin press service notes.
Prime Minister Theresa May herself called the incident a “terrible act of terrorism.” "The terrorists deliberately targeted the most vulnerable young people. The explosion was carried out in that place and at that time specifically to cause maximum damage. Only a perverted mind is capable of perceiving a room full of young people not as a place for fun, but as a potential place for massacre ", said the British Prime Minister. May and Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labor Party, have agreed to suspend campaigning ahead of the UK parliamentary elections.
A concert goer said there was "almost no security checks" in and around the building.
Many world capitals have already made it clear that they will strengthen security measures during major sporting events and concerts. Thus, in Taiwan, where the Universiade will be held in August this year, they announced that they would “significantly increase the range of security measures in light of the tragedy in Manchester.”
"We believe the attack was carried out by one individual," Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins told reporters on Tuesday. "The priority is to establish whether he acted alone or as part of a terrorist network." It is known that the deceased suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device. Hopkins did not specify whether the terrorist was British. On Tuesday afternoon, militants from the Daesh group (the Arabic name for the ISIS group banned in the Russian Federation - “RG”) took responsibility for the terrorist attack. Meanwhile, London police detained a 23-year-old man in the south of the British capital as part of a counter-terrorism operation.
The Manchester attack was the UK's deadliest attack since suicide bombings on London's transport system killed 52 people in July 2005.
Meanwhile, leaders of various religious and public organizations in Great Britain condemned the terrorist attack in Manchester, RIA Novosti noted. "Heroic Manchester, dark evil cannot bring it down. We pray for those who are grieving on the difficult journey of loss and pain and for those who protect us," said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. And the general secretary of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Haroon Khan, said: "This is terrible, this is a crime. Let the perpetrators feel the full force of justice both in this life and in the next."
Recently, it is Great Britain, experts note, that “has become the most vulnerable target for terrorists.” Britain's counter-terrorism unit says it is making "arrests every day in connection with suspected terrorist activity." Recall that in March, a native of Great Britain crashed an SUV into pedestrians on the famous Westminster Bridge in London. He killed four people and stabbed a policeman who was on the territory of the country's parliament. The criminal was shot dead at the scene. And in 2015, Pakistani student Abid Nasir was convicted in a US court of “conspiracy with Al-Qaeda (banned in the Russian Federation - “RG”).” He planned to bomb the Arndale shopping center in central Manchester in April 2009.
Dossier "RG"
Stadiums as targets
Many spectators came to Ariana Grande's concert wearing T-shirts with her image. The "Tour of a Dangerous Woman" will long be remembered by the British. Photo: AP
Terrorists often target large cultural or sporting venues. The French do not call November 13, 2015 anything other than “Black Friday”. As dusk fell, the city came under the deadliest attack since the end of World War II. 130 people became its victims. Several groups were active. The first, which included three suicide bombers, carried out explosions near the Stade de France stadium, where a football match was taking place between the national teams of France and Germany. At this time, a second team of killers raided several restaurants, bars and pizzerias in the 10th and 11th arrondissements in the east of Paris. Three jihadists in a black Seat car drove up to the open terraces of establishments where customers were seated at tables and opened fire on them with automatic weapons, killing 40 people.
However, the bloodiest attack was on the Bataclan concert hall, where the American band Eagles of Death Metal performed. 90 people died there, including Russian woman Natalya Muravyova, who had two citizenships - Russian and French. 350 were wounded. Three terrorists, having shot a security guard at the entrance, burst into the hall, where about one and a half thousand spectators had gathered. Mostly young people, fans of cool rock. Having taken defenseless people hostage, they began methodically pouring lead on them from machine guns.
According to the story of the spectators who miraculously escaped, the killers acted in cold blood and quickly exchanged the used horns of the machine guns for new ones. When French special forces arrived at the Bataclan, the terrorists forced the hostages to stand in front of the theater windows and monitor the movements of the police. Those who refused or hesitated were shot on the spot. During the operation to free the hostages, two terrorists detonated suicide vests with explosives. The third did not have time - he was overtaken by a special forces bullet.
All of them turned out to be French citizens with North African roots, who managed to undergo training in Syria in Daesh camps (the Arabic name for the IS group, banned in the Russian Federation - “RG”). A few days later, the coordinator of the Paris massacre, 28-year-old Abdelhamid Aboud, was discovered in the capital's suburb of Saint-Denis.
A native of the Brussels district of Molenbeek, where immigrants from Morocco live compactly, offered armed resistance to the police and was eliminated.
On January 1, 2010, in the Pakistani city of Lakki Marwat, a terrorist drove a car directly onto the court where a volleyball match was taking place and detonated an explosive device. As a result, 95 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. The attack was one of the deadliest in Pakistan's history. On May 14, 2010, a car bomb exploded near the stadium during a football match in Tal Afar, Iraq. The suicide bomber then detonated another device.
In the double terrorist attack, 25 people were killed and over 100 were injured.
The largest arena
Manchester Arena is not young, but it is comfortable. This is the largest arena of its kind in Europe. Its capacity is 21 thousand spectators, who easily enter this palace, located in relative proximity to the center of the grayish-colored houses of the working “hard-working city of Manchester”. That’s exactly how many spectators were at Grande’s concert that fateful evening. Previously, so many tickets to sports competitions or concerts held here had never been sold, although the kings of rock and the stars of boxing, basketball, and hockey performed here. From the outside, the arena looks somewhat unprepossessing. But inside there is freedom. There is complete space for the public, the rows go up and even higher, higher, and I checked it personally, the stage and carpet at the bottom in the center are clearly visible from the last tier. The exits from the spectator sectors are wide, spacious, and extremely comfortable.
Perhaps, thanks to this, there was no crush during the hasty mass evacuation-flight, which helped to avoid even more casualties.
Blood will flow
Joseph Linder (Russia), President of the International Counter-Terrorism Association:
Everything is very simple. There is a concept that defines the security system at public events. It is sanctioned by senior management, accepted by the relevant administrative structures, and then goes down to the level of special services of law enforcement agencies and is implemented depending on the category of the event: the volume of guests at a particular facility.
In Manchester, no real, serious inspection was carried out, although the necessary screening equipment was available. And security screening at an event held at Manchester Arena should be equivalent to security screening at international airport terminals. In our country, for example, at stadiums and concerts, every handbag is opened upon entry, spectators are passed through metal detectors - keys, wallets, and coins are laid out. Bags are searched very carefully. If necessary, a personal search up to and including a body search. Members of the press carry technical devices through the X-ray chamber. The question arises, and personal belongings of individual guests are also passed through it. There was practically none of this in Manchester, but only a superficial inspection and nothing more. Anything could be carried. There is a second point that everyone should understand. We live in an era of a terrorist pandemic. There is no corner on earth where we could hide from terrorists. This is a fact of our life today. Consequently, all structures of administrative authorities must understand this, and if they want to stay in the political establishment, follow this. But the European establishment, and in particular the English one, today, professing the theory of pseudo-tolerance, does not sufficiently protect its indigenous population from terror. The penultimate terror risk level means little to UK citizens. There will be no effective system of struggle. In England, there were explosions in the subway, and police officers were attacked near the government's Downing Street. Beautiful speeches were made in memory of the victims. However, in reality, neither Europe nor England has a concept of security and counter-terrorism. I think Prime Minister Thatcher could make a tough, correct and unpopular decision. But Mrs. May and other Western European politicians are not capable of this. There are no great politicians in Western Europe today. And, therefore, blood will continue to be shed.
The situation in which Ariana Grande finds herself is truly one of the worst that a person can find herself in. It’s like you’re not responsible for anything at all, because it’s not your fault, you can’t change anything, influence anything. But at the same time, you realize that it was your event that became the place where the tragedy took place, forcing the whole world to plunge into deep mourning.
That night, the singer posted an open letter in which she addressed all her fans and people affected by this incident. A translation of this letter was provided by:
“My hearts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to all the victims of the Manchester attack and their loved ones.
Neither I nor anyone else can dissolve or reduce the pain you feel. However, if you suddenly need my help or want to receive it in any way, I extend my hand and heart to you and, in general, everything that I could give you.
Now the only thing we can do is decide how exactly this event will affect us and how we will live further.
Over the past week, I haven't stopped thinking about my fans and all of you. The way you handled everything was such an inspiration to me and made me prouder than you can imagine. The compassion, kindness, love, strength and unity you have shown each other this week is the exact opposite of the horrendous intent it would take to commit such an atrocity as happened on Monday.
YOU are different.
I'm sorry for the pain and fear you must be feeling right now, as well as the stress you are experiencing.
We will never be able to understand why such events happen; it is not in our nature. This is why we should not react with disgust.
We will not retreat or act out of fear.
We won't let this divide us.
We won't let hate win.
I don't want to spend the rest of this year not being able to see, support and uplift my fans the way they continue to support me.
We must become more united, help each other, love more, sing louder and be more kind and generous than before. This will be our response to this cruelty.
I'm going back to incredibly brave Manchester to spend time with fans and perform a benefit concert for the victims of the tragedy and their loved ones to raise money for them. I want to thank my fellow musicians and friends who have been part of the expression of love for Manchester. Once everything is confirmed, I will share the details with you.
From the day we started the Dangerous Woman tour, I said the main goal of this show was first and foremost to be a safe place for my fans. A place where they can forget about their problems, have fun, heal, feel safe and be themselves. Where they can meet up with friends they've met online. Where they can express themselves.
Something like this won't change any of that.
When you look into the hall at my concerts, you see a beautiful, diverse, real, happy audience. Thousands of people, so different, and all gathered there for one reason - music.
The purpose of music is that it heals us, unites us, makes us happy.
And for us, music will continue to fulfill its purpose.
Every day they will be in my thoughts and in my heart, and for the rest of my life I will think about them no matter what I do.