22 Dead After Explosion At Ariana Grande Concert In UK; Suicide Bomber Suspected

British police have confirmed that at least 22 people, including children, are now dead as a result of the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester last night. With flags at half mast at 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her sympathies with the families affected in “what is being treated by the police as an
appalling terrorist attack.”

Last night Greater Manchester Police say the biggest attack in the UK since the 7/7 bombings has left 19 people  dead and 59 injured after an explosion outside the Manchester Arena just as an Ariana Grande concert was letting out. The bomb exploded in the foyer outside the arena near a ticket office as crowds were leaving the building.

TV news outlets are quoting multiple U.S. officials who were briefed on the incident as saying British authorities suspect that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber with a backpack bomb. They added that they have identified the suspect, but no name was released.

“There was a massive explosion, and everyone was screaming,” one witness told Reuters from one of England’s largest cities. “It was a huge explosion; you could feel it in your chest.”

The pop singer, who was not hurt in the attack, tweeted:

broken.
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017

The venue is among the largest indoor arenas in Europe, with a capacity of 21,000. Manchester Victoria train station, which is right underneath the arena, has been closed since the bombing.

“We are currently treating this as terrorist incident until we have further information,” Ian Hopkins, chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police, said in a brief statement to reporters. He said his officers are working closely with the national counterterrorism policing network and UK intelligence partners on the incident, which happened at about 10:33 PM local time.

“This is clearly a very concerning time for everyone,” Hopkins said. “We’re doing all that we can, working with local and national agencies to support those affected as we gather information about what happened last night. As you’ll understand, we are still information and updated, so we’ll provide further details when we have a clearer picture.”

He said the injured are being treated at six hospitals in England’s second-largest city.