The Deadly Assault On Manchester

The UK terror threat was raised to its highest level of “critical” this week after a suicide bomber killed at least 22 people, and injured more than 60 others, in Manchester.

- 

The UK terror threat was raised to its highest level of “critical” this week after a suicide bomber killed at least 22 people, and injured more than 60 others, in Manchester. The bomber – identified as Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old born in the city to Libyan refugees – detonated his device on Monday night in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, one of Europe’s largest indoor venues, as thousands of young fans were streaming out of a concert by the American pop star Ariana Grande. The blast sent a devastating wave of shrapnel through the crowd, unleashing a panicked stampede. Among the dead were an eight year-old girl, an off-duty policewoman and a Polish couple who had arrived to collect their two daughters.

There were reports of parents turning up to search for their children and staying to comfort wounded strangers, and of numerous other acts of kindness by members of the public: a homeless man ran to the scene and held an injured woman in his arms as she died; local taxi drivers gave free rides to concert goers trying to get away; residents opened their homes; and scores of people queued to give blood. The next day, thousands gathered for a vigil in Manchester’s Albert Square. It opened with tributes to the emergency services – which prompted thunderous applause. Earlier, hundreds of people had donated a total of £11,000 to put behind the bar of a pub near Manchester’s Royal Infirmary, to buy food and drinks for all the medics working around the clock to help the wounded, some of whom lost limbs in the blast.