An explosive device was detonated in Manchester at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert.
So far at least 19 people are confirmed killed and 50 others injured when an explosion rocked an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England on Monday.
Greater Manchester Police said in a statement that they were treating the blast as a “terrorist incident until police know otherwise.”
British Transport Police said an explosion occurred in the foyer of Manchester Arena at 10:30 p.m., around the time the concert finished. Arena management tweeted its own statement, which said the incident took place “outside the venue in a public space.”
A second explosion, approximately three hours after the initial incident, was reportedly due to the bomb squad conducting a controlled explosion. Police tweeted they would be carrying out a controlled explosion in a park near the arena.The North West counter-terrorism unit has said it is treating the incident as a possible terrorist attack.
Spokesman Joseph Carozza said Grande, who was performing at the arena as part of her “Dangerous Woman” world tour, was “okay” and added, “we are further investigating what happened.”
Witnesses described panic as concertgoers rushed to get out of the arena. Video from inside the arena showed people screaming as they made their way out of the venue.
Concert goer Sasina Akhtar told the Manchester Evening News that Grande had just finished her last song when “there was an explosion behind us at the back of the arena. We saw young girls with blood on them, everyone was screaming, and people were running. There was lots of smoke.”
David Richardson, who attended the show with his 13-year-old daughter said he heard two explosions just after the show.  “It was about 40 feet behind us near one of the exits. We just thought it was people messing about then it happened again. Another explosion sounded. Then we saw the smoke. Everyone just fled.”
Majid Khan, 22, said she heard a “huge bomb-like bang that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena.” Â Everyone was in a huge state of panic, calling each other as some had gone to the toilet while this had gone off, so it was just extremely disturbing for everyone there.”
“The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run,” Jones said. “I saw people are running and screaming towards one direction, and then many were turning around to run back the other way. Â Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers.”
Manchester Victoria station, which is under the arena, was also evacuated and all trains were canceled, though there were no initial reports of injuries there.
Stranded attendees of the concert reportedly were waiting for rides home in nearby bars and hotels. Â Sky News reported that some city taxi drivers were offering free rides to help clear traffic out of the city center.
England has been the location of several recent terrorist attacks. The last attack was March 22nd when several civilians and a police officer were killed near Parliament. In that incident, British police said three people were killed. One police officer, a woman in her 40s and a man in his 50s were killed with approximately 40 people, including three police officers, wounded.
During the month of April British police stopped two active terror plots with raids and arrests.
