UK police: ‘A number of fatalities’ at Grande concert

Near the Manchester Arena on Monday after explosions were reported at an Ariana Grande concert. | Credit Rex Features, via Associated Press, St. George News

LONDON (AP) — Several people have died following an explosion Monday night at an Ariana Grande concert in northern England, police and witnesses said. The singer was not injured, according to a representative.

There were no immediate details of what happened during the concert by the American singer, but witnesses reported hearing two loud bangs coming from near the arena’s bars.

“A huge bomb-like bang went off that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena,” concertgoer Majid Khan, 22, told Britain’s Press Association. “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.”

Added Oliver Jones, 17: “The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.”

Video from inside the arena showed concertgoers screaming as they made their way out amid a sea of pink balloons.

Police advised the public to avoid the area around the Manchester Arena, and the train station near the arena, Victoria Station, was evacuated and all trains canceled.

Joseph Carozza, a representative from Grande’s US record label, said the singer is OK and they are investigating what happened.

The Dangerous Woman Tour is the third concert tour by Grande to support her third studio album, Dangerous Woman. The tour began on February 3 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

From Manchester the tour is to move through Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, through the summer with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and on to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and more.

Written by The Associated Press. AP Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this story from Jersey City, New Jersey.

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Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

 

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11 Comments

  • 42214 May 22, 2017 at 8:50 pm

    Obama press release: We aren’t ready to call this a terrosist attack. It could have been popped baloons, a natural gas expolsion, firecrackers, or Amish malicious mischief. We’ll get back to you in 6 months with the findings of our investigation. In the meantime, peace be with you, Allahu Akbar. Thank God that clown isn’t our President anymore.

  • Henry May 22, 2017 at 9:39 pm

    Hopefully the British response won’t just be a rehash of what they did after the March attacks near Parliament: candlelight vigils, wreath laying, singing John Lennon’s “Imagine”, and vows from public officials that “terrorists will not defeat us.”

    At least the London mayor was forthright when he said that believes terrorist attacks are just “part and parcel of living in a big city.” Wonder if the families of those killed tonight in Manchester agree with that statement?

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sadiq-khan-london-mayor-terrorism-attacks-part-and-parcel-major-cities-new-york-bombing-a7322846.html

  • Willie May 22, 2017 at 10:00 pm

    I am as guilty as any for using this forum to politically poke at comments that I don’t agree with. However, in good taste, a large group of young British citizens were senselessly killed by a terrorist attack. Left or right, we can all agree this is a tragic event and should be treated with a bit of respect. Let us all sling mud at each other on the next news story we dissagre on, not this one.

    • Henry May 23, 2017 at 9:15 am

      I believe that public officials making audacious statements, followed by pusillanimous responses, shows great disrespect toward the victims of these continuing terrorist attacks.

      • comments May 23, 2017 at 9:50 am

        pusillanimous. wow 😉

        • Henry May 23, 2017 at 11:40 am

          You know Bob, like those pusillanimous hats that the Progressive marchers wear. LOL

          • 42214 May 23, 2017 at 1:55 pm

            I hope you spelled that big word correctly or Cris will say “We all know how stupid you are”.

    • Real Life May 23, 2017 at 9:23 am

      You mean like the next story when a Muslim kills a lot of innocent people? Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long.

  • comments May 22, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    Are muslims blowin’ themselves up at Ariana Grande concerts now? That almost seems like a new low. I doubt I’d go to an Ariana Grande concert if it was free, even. It would take something more to lure me there. And if stuff like this is gonna happen I just won’t even bother. It’s too much trouble.

    • comments May 23, 2017 at 8:36 pm

      Now that a lot a the details have come out it sounds absolutely terrible. I was actually hoping it was some kind of accident and not another moslem incident. I don’t know why someone doesn’t do something. It’s just one moslem attack after another. Get attacked, do some remembrance ceremonies, rinse and repeat, roll over and just take it, and do nothing about the root of the problem. Moslemism is not compatible with secular society, and I’m not convinced there is any form of moslemism that doesn’t hold extremist views of one kind or another. Always find it even more disturbing when the victims are largely younger. Best wishes for all these victims here.

  • .... May 23, 2017 at 5:15 am

    Amen to that

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