UK police: 19 dead after blast at Ariana Grande concert

LONDON (UPDATE 2 8:32 a.m.) — UK police said 19 are confirmed dead while 50 others were injured following an explosion Monday night (Tuesday morning, Manila time) at an Ariana Grande concert in northern England. The singer was not injured, according to a representative.

 

There were few further 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.

 

The blast is 'being treated as a terrorist incident' until police know otherwise.

 

Latest statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/BEpLOan3dY

— G M Police (@gmpolice) May 23, 2017

 

"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.

 

EXPLOSION AT MANCHESTER ARENA AND EVERYONE RAN OUT SO SCARY pic.twitter.com/pJbUBoELtE

— ?? (@hannawwh) May 22, 2017

 

The chaos outside #manchesterarena when we were all trying to get out I hope everyone is okay #Manchester pic.twitter.com/ISgx3AzJTF

— jordan mcbrearty (@JSMcbrearty) May 22, 2017

 

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. — with reports from AP