Huge explosion at music concert in UK, 19 people died

A suspected terrorist explosion occurred during a performance at an arena in Manchester, England, killing at least 19 people.

"Emergency services are responding to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena," Sky News quoted British police as saying. "There are multiple casualties." Manchester Arena is where singer Ariana Grande performed.

British Transport Police confirmed the explosion took place in the "foyer of the arena at 10:30pm on 22 May", the Telegraph reported. Grande's American representative said the singer was "okay".

"19 people were killed, about 50 injured. This is being treated as a terrorist attack until police know otherwise," police said. Two US officials said the incident may have been caused by a suicide bomber.

An injured person is carried out. Photo: Telegraph.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, sent his condolences to the families of the victims. "A terrible night for our city," he wrote on Twitter.

"I was in bed and heard a loud bang. I went outside and saw people running," said Suzy Mitchell, who lives across the street from the arena.

"I and many others went to see Ariana Grande perform at the Manchester Arena. When we were going out, around 10:40 to 10:45 p.m., there was a loud explosion like a bomb, which made everyone panic. We also tried to run away," Majid Khan, 22, recounted.

One witness said he saw "about 30 people" lying on the ground, some of whom appeared "dead".

Several media outlets reported two explosions. The Manchester Arena has a capacity of 21,000. Trains to and from Manchester Victoria station, located below the arena, were suspended.

Manchester Police urged people to stay away from the arena and said they would provide further information as soon as possible. A bomb disposal team has been sent to the scene.

A police source told the BBC they had found a "suspicious device". Journalists were told to stay 200 metres away. Police said there would be a "controlled explosion" in the park opposite the arena and urged people not to worry. They later confirmed the "suspicious device" was just clothing left behind.

According to VNE