Police urge people to avoid the area, say they are treating case as ‘terrorist incident’

Thomson Reuters,

At least 19 people have been killed and another 50 injured after an explosion at the Manchester Arena in northern England, where U.S. pop star Ariana Grande was wrapping up a performance.

Police say they were called around 10:35 p.m. local time following reports of an explosion at the venue, which has a capacity of about 21,000.

They say they are treating it as a “terrorist incident” as they investigate. The explosion took place outside the venue in a public place, according to a statement on the Manchester Arena’s Twitter account.

“A huge bomb-like bang went off — that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena,” another concert-goer, Majid Khan, told Britain’s Press Association. “It was one bang and essentially everyone from the other side of the arena, where the bang was heard from, suddenly came running toward us as they were trying to exit.”

Added 17-year-old Oliver Jones: “The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.”

Emergency vehicles were on the scene helping the injured and bomb disposal units were later seen outside the venue.

Several witnesses, while speaking to the BBC, reported glass shattering and the whole building shaking from an explosion.

Many described bloodied and injured people, and a panic as concert-goers fled the venue.

Police advised the public to avoid the area around the arena, and the train station near the arena, Victoria Station, was evacuated and all trains cancelled.

People ‘stampeding out’

Jess Kelly, 22, and her friend were at the concert.

“We were about to go down the stairwell into the concession area where it happened and we heard the explosion, everybody turned to the left, screamed and started running,” she told CBC’s Carole MacNeil.