Ariana Grande performs in Atlanta in 2016. (Getty)
An explosion at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on Monday killed at least 22 people and left 49 others injured, reports say.
NBC News: Law enforcement officials say at least 20 dead and hundreds have been injured following reports of an explosion in Manchester, UK.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) May 22, 2017
Following reports of a “huge bang” at the show, police responded to the incident. They said in a statement shortly after that “emergency services are currently responding to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena. There are a number of fatalities and others injured.”
Police statement on incident at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/gaKASukx9a
— G M Police (@gmpolice) May 22, 2017
Witnesses at the venue reported hearing a “huge bang” and fans were seen running to the exits immediately afterward. The explosion took place in the foyer of the arena, The Sun reported. Another source told the newspaper that the explosion was a “nail bomb attack,” though authorities haven’t yet confirmed that detail.
Grande’s spokeswoman confirmed with Sky News that the 23-year-old entertainer is “OK.”
Grande tweeted out her sympathy in a brief statement hours after the incident took place.
broken.
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 23, 2017
Videos posted to social media documented the chaos that filled the arena after the explosions.
EXPLOSION AT MANCHESTER ARENA AND EVERYONE RAN OUT SO SCARY
pic.twitter.com/pJbUBoELtE
— ♡♡ (@hannawwh) May 22, 2017
If you look towards the left you see the explosion and hear the bang. I hope to GOD everyone is ok, and so glad Jess and Em are. #manchester pic.twitter.com/q81KHGEJ6E
— Joe Gregory (@JoeAaronGregory) May 22, 2017
Grande was in the middle of her Dangerous Woman Tour. She was playing a show at the Manchester Arena before heading to London to play two nights at the O2 Arena before traveling to Belgium to continue with the European portion of the tour.
One witness of the explosion inside, 22-year-old Majid Khan, told Sky News that they were just leaving the show when the “bomb-like bang” occurred.
I and my sister, along with a lot of others, were seeing Ariana Grande perform at Manchester Arena, and we were all exiting the venue when around 10.40-10.45pm-ish a huge bomb-like bang went off that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena.
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.
Everyone was in a huge state of panic, calling each other as some had gone to the toilet whilst this had gone off, so it was just extremely disturbing for everyone there.
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