Explosion at Ariana Grande Concert Kills at Least 19, Possible Suicide Bomber

Posted on May 22, 2017

There was an explosion earlier tonight at the Manchester Arena in the U.K. The explosion is believed to be terrorism and there are indications it was a suicide bomber. The attack followed shortly after the end of an Ariana Grande concert. The explosion is thought to have occurred just outside the foyer of the arena and not inside the building itself.

The Manchester police released a statement saying the explosion happened just before 10:35 pm local time. There are at least 19 people confirmed dead and fifty injured. The police say it is being treated as a terrorist attack. Witnesses are describing horrific injuries, seeing dead bodies and nuts and other shrapnel on the ground. There may also have been some trampling-related injuries as people rushed out of the stadium following the explosion.

Ariana Grande has lots of young fans and there are reports of missing children. The Daily Mail reports that footage "showed petrified children leaping over fences." There are reports many children are being kept at nearby hotels where they can be reunited with their parents. The concert was thought to be full and held 21,000 people.

Ariana was not injured in the attack and left unharmed. She has not made a statement. The Twitter account for Ariana's Dangerous Woman Tour says in a tweet, "Events like this are very traumatizing. Upcoming tour dates could be cancelled simply because it's too hard for Ariana to carry on."

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