AN EXPLOSION AT the end of an Ariana Grande concert last night in Manchester Arena has left 22 people dead 59 injured.
In the hours since the explosion, emergency services cordoned of a large area around the arena. Nearby Victoria Station was closed and will remain closed for the entire day.
In the wake of the blast there was much confusion. Scores of ambulances rushed to the scene immediately and people attempted to leave the arena. The capacity of the arena is 21,000 and the concert was sold out.
As news spread of what had happened, local Mancunians took to social media to offer accommodation and support to people who had gone to the concert.
The hashtag #RoomforManchester began to trend on Twitter with people offering support, shelter or beds or couches for people who may have been stranded by the blast.
As well as this, there were reports on social media that the Holiday Inn in Manchester was taking in children who may have been separated by their parents.
There were also numerous accounts of taxis in the city offering free rides to people from the arena in the wake of the explosion.
Missing in Manchester
The hashtag in #MissinginManchester also began to trend soon after the explosion.
It was used by friends or family members of missing loved ones to try to locate them following the incident.
It is hard to immediately authenticate all of the posts and pictures of peopel reported to be missing.
One of the concert-goers whose photograph is being widely shared is Olivia Campbell.
Olivia’s mother Charlotte spoke to CNN saying she had last seen her daughter at about 8.30pm last night.
“It’s the most horrible feeling ever to know your daughter is there and you can’t find her, and you don’t know if she’s dead or alive,” she said.
I don’t know how people can do this to innocent children.
Police have set up an emergency helpline which can reached on the UK number 0161 856 9400.
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