Concert terror attack: A proud city in mourning

Hurt, but not defeated – Manchester was a city in mourning following the worst terrorist attack in the UK since 7/7.

The bombing at the end of the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena brought immediate confusion and panic and a feeling of disbelief the morning after.

As the hours rolled into the early morning, the centre’s streets fell silent, the quiet only interrupted by a helicopter flying overhead.

Taxi drivers skirted around a three-mile police cordon, offering free lifts for people caught up in the attack to get home.

Observing them, hundreds of police officers – some armed – guarded the yellow cordon tape tied around lamp posts, trees and fencing.

The arena, a large building connected to Victoria Station, stood shrouded in darkness during the early hours.

This was Manchester’s darkest hour since the IRA bombing in 1996.

But as dawn broke over the city, subdued activity stirred on the streets.

People arrived at the venue, some in tears, hugging each other.

The first wave of workers began to turn up from 6am. They stumbled around the police cordon looking bewildered, asking for help from officers.

A crowd started to gather in Corporation Street. Standing among TV crews they looked down the street, where the arena stood.

A short distance from the street is the Premier Inn. And it was from here the first survivors of the attack began to emerge.

Stunned but resolute, they walked out and spoke to the world’s media, many still defiantly wearing the merchandise T-shirts from the music concert.

Lydia Watson, aged 37, from Worcester, came out with her daughter Madison, 11. They heard the bomb blast as they were leaving. She thought they were going to die.

He said: “We heard a really loud noise and thought for maybe one second a speaker had exploded.

"Then there was a stampede of people heading towards us screaming and shouting “get out, get out, run, run, run”, so obviously then we turned and at that point your life flashes before your eyes really and you think ‘this is it’ and you start to think of friends and family and if you are ever going to see them again.

“And then obviously it was chaos down the stairs. I thought someone was going to end up being crushed and that was frightening and then you do not know whether it’s guns.

“I didn’t know whether there was someone down in the footwell waiting.”

The pair had arrived by car and left their vehicle at the arena car park. They were forced to find a hotel room for the night although they had hoped to return last night.

Jordan Brown, aged 19, from Carlisle, was at the show with his partner Lauren. He said: “We were pretty close and it was a loud bang.

“It wasn’t like people say, like a balloon, it was more a proper explosion. I was confused and thought, just get out of there.”

He added: “There were people falling over each other coming out. Outside we saw people injured, lying on the floor, blood everywhere. People crying for help.”

Evie Shaw, aged 18, was with friend Hannah Fazani, 17, at the concert. After escaping they got lost and were forced to find a bed and breakfast, before returning to the Premier Inn in the morning.

Ms Shaw said: “I just can’t believe it at all. The family called straight away and they are so relieved we are OK, we are heading back home to Sheffield today.”

American Gary Walker, from Leeds, was with his wife in the foyer waiting to pick up his two daughters who were at the concert.

He said the blast happened by the foyer door, next to the merchandise, and that glass and metal nuts were left on the floor.

Mr Walker said he was about three metres from the explosion and was “surprised I got away so lightly”.

He added:“I was waiting for the kids to come out. We heard the last song, and quite a few people were flooding out and then suddenly there was a massive flash and then a bang, smoke.

“I felt a bit of pain in my foot and my leg. My wife said, ‘I need to lie down’. I lay her down, she’d got a stomach wound and possibly a broken leg.

“I was about three metres from the actual explosion. I am surprised I got away so lightly.”

One fan, Majid Khan, 22, described the blast and ensuing panic.

“A huge bomb-like bang went off that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the Arena,” he said.

“It was one bang and essentially everyone from the other side of the Arena where the bang was heard from suddenly came running towards us as they were trying to exit.”

Alberto Hernandez, 25, and Sandra Rojas, 31, were staying at the Premier Inn but did not attend the concert.

Mr Hernandez offered his room to people stranded after the attack. He said: “We were inside when we heard a huge bang, then we saw hundreds of people running from the arena. Some were bleeding. It was horrific.”

He added: “I offered my room, but people will not have wanted to stay in this area.”

A barman at the nearby Steven Charles Snooker Club, who gave his name as Tyler, said he saw people lying on the ground covered in blood.

He spoke of the chaotic aftermath of the attack, with panicked teenagers and parents seeking shelter in the club.

“We’ve had a few people in with panic attacks and in all kinds of disarray,” he said.

“We’ve had four girls here – we were trying to get them sorted out to get picked up.

“There was a gentleman on the floor with his leg all bleeding and a woman with blood down one side of her face.

“We felt something but didn’t know what it was – there was a sound like thunder.

“One girl had a panic attack and another was streaming with tears.

“I heard a woman had a heart attack just outside.

“It was a lot of teenagers. They were all in tears.”

Suzy Mitchell, 26, whose flat is opposite the venue, reported a huge bang rocking the neighbourhood.

She said: “I just heard a huge bang from my bed, came out to the front of my apartment. We’re on the top floor so have perfect view. Everyone was running away in big crowds.

“The bang was so big I heard it from my room which is at the back of the apartment block.”

As the survivors emerged early yesterday, businesses reopened for the day, but there was a subdued atmosphere.

A young woman laid a bouquet of tulips at the police cordon close to the shopping area in Deansgate.

Officers took flowers from well-wishers and laid them close to the scene.

And a chaplain could be seen arriving to meet officers, before heading to the arena.

One Shropshire businesswoman with business interests in Manchester was offering lifts to people who found themselves stuck in the city and were struggling to get home to the county.

Rachel Forrester, 36, runs The Glam Studio in Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury and also has a salon in Manchester, splitting her time between the two.

She said her housemate Ricky Gwilliam was inside the Arndale Centre when it was evacuated yesterday morning but had managed to get to his work based in Canal Street in Manchester city centre.

The pair had stayed up until 4am watching the aftermath of the bombing unfold.

Ms Forrester said: “I was coming back anyway and I put the offer out to help get people back.

“The atmosphere is really strange.

“We feel absolutely devastated, but everyone is coming together to think of ways they can help.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking and scary, I actually feel scared.

“Although I was coming back anyway I feel like I want to stay in Manchester in solidarity. We’ve all got friends and people we know who knew people that were there.”

Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham joined yesterday’s early morning’s Cobra meeting by video-link from the city. He spoke to ministers in Downing Street as the security situation was updated.

But the mayor was anxious to be on the streets, both to console people affected and to speak to the media on behalf of the city.

He described the attack as “evil”, saying: “It is hard to believe what has happened here in the last few hours and to put into words the shock, anger, and hurt that we feel today.

“These were children, young people and their families that those responsible chose to terrorise and kill.

“It is hard to believe what has happened here in the last few hours and to put into words the shock, anger, and hurt that we feel today.

“We are grieving today, but we are strong. Today it will be business as usual, as far as possible in our great city.”