At least 22 people, including children, have been confirmed dead and almost 60 others are injured following reports of multiple explosions after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in the North of England on Monday Evening.
In a tweet, the North West Ambulance Service said it had “taken 59 casualties from the Manchester Arena incident to various hospitals and treated a number of walking wounded on scene.”
“We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming,” concert-goer Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters.
“It was a huge explosion – you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out.”
While the cause has not been confirmed, terrorism is suspected. Greater Manchester Police and the local NHS trust confirmed they had responded to a “serious incident” at the Manchester Arena, and urged members of the public to stay clear of the area.
Britain is currently on its second-highest alert level of “severe”, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement professing solidarity with Britain overnight. “We stand ready to assist our friends and allies in the U.K. in all ways necessary as they investigate and recover from this incident,” the statement read.
This is a breaking story and will be continually updated as soon as more facts come in.
