19 dead and 50 injured after terror attack at Ariana Grande concert

ESTIMATED 
19 dead and 50 injured after terror attack at Ariana Grande concert

What must have been a great spectacle of pop diva Ariana Grande’s concert was made chaotic around 6:33 am Singapore time today (23/5) after explosions rocked the foyer of Manchester Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Videos pulled from the venue show a confused and scared fan base rushing towards exit lanes in shock, the moment they heard explosions rock the venue. The explosions reportedly took place after the concert had ended, while people were exiting the venue through the foyer.

Greater Manchester police are treating the explosions as a part of a terrorist attack.

As information tricked in, officials were able to confirm that Ariana Grande herself is "okay". Local police were also able to confirm that 19 have been tragically killed and 50 injured. At 10:27 am local time, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins released this statement:

BANDWAGON TV

I can confirm the details of events tonight that we currently know. At around 10.33pm last night we received reports of an explosion at the Manchester Arena in the city centre. It was at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert.

Currently we have 19 people confirmed to have died and around 50 people injured.

The injured are being treated at six hospitals across Greater Manchester. My thoughts are with all those who have been affected and we are doing all we can to support them.

Officers from GMP and emergency services are working at the scene and are supporting those affected. We are coordinating the response from GMP headquarters.

An emergency number is available for those who are concerned about loved ones or anyone who may have been in the area. It is 0161 856 9400.

We are currently treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise. We are working closely with the national counter-terrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners.

This is clearly a concerning time for people but we are doing all we can, working with local and national agencies to support those affected and gather information about what has happened tonight. As you will understand, we are still receiving information and updates, so will provide more details when we have a clearer picture.

I want to thank people for their support and would ask them to remain vigilant and if they have any concerns report them in confidence to us on the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789321.

It is important people avoid the area so that we can effectively deal with the incident.

Ariana Grande took to Twitter after the incident.

Stay tuned to Bandwagon for more updates.