ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — An explosion late Monday night (local time) at the end of a concert in Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom has killed 19 people and injured more than 50 in what authorities are describing as a "terrorist attack."
"Currently we have 19 people confirmed to have died and around 50 people injured," Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said in a statement.
Police say they are continuing to investigate and there were no immediate reports of arrests or suspects.
The explosion occurred just after 10:30 p.m. towards the end of a pop concert by a US singer.
“Ariana Grande had just gone behind the curtain and the lights came up when there was this massive bang and a big cloud of smoke. I saw five people with blood all down them,” The Guardian reported one concert-goer as saying.
Grande said she was speechless and apologized on Twitter after the attack.
broken.
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.
The explosion was near the exit foyer, according to witness reports.
Prime Minister Theresa May, along with other party leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron have reportedly paused their campaign events for the June 8 general election in the wake of the attack.
"We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack," May said in a statement. All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected."
While Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called it a "terrible incident."
Falah Mustafa, the Kurdistan Region's head of the Department of Foreign Relations tweeted he was "shocked."
Shocked to hear of the deadly explosions in #ManchesterArena. We must remain united in the face of extremism that recognizes no boundaries.
— Falah Mustafa (@FalahMustafa) May 23, 2017
Manchester Arena has a capacity of 21,000. Manchester, England, is the second-most populous urban area with a population of more than 2.5 million people.
If confirmed by investigators as a "terror" incident, it would be the deadliest in Britain since the 7/7 London bombings, where on July 7, 2005, three bombs killed 52 people and injured more than 700 in the city's transit system.
from Rudaw http://ift.tt/2rbVZPe
via Defense News
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