‘i‘éi‘ ,. heard from the greater manchester mao, andy burnham, who said that his heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones. —— mayor. he said it was a terrible night for their great city. some absolutely heartbreaking tweeds and media posts, —— tweets. this must be a heartbreaking time for parents who perhaps haven't located children who are in hotels nearby, all sorts of places where unaccompanied children are waiting to be found by their pa rents are waiting to be found by their parents and loved ones. that's right, we understand about 50 children were in the holiday in nearby in the hotel was looking after them, as they were waiting to be reunited with their parents —— holiday inn. and some people have opened their homes to look after those children. the people who would have been going to that concert, a lot of them would have been very

young. for some it would have been their first concert and our parents are trying to reunite them, parents trying to reunite themselves with their children. in addition to this, their children. in addition to this, the railway station has been closed down, a lot of people will have come to and from the venue by train. that has been closed down, so thatjust add to the picture of confusion. thank you very much forjoining us for now. we will certainly come back to you when details emerge of what exactly happened there at the manchester arena. of course, as theresa may mentioned, this is being treated as a terror attack as security forces and emergency services in manchester and london try to piece together what exactly happened. as andy mentioned, a lot of teenagers at the concert, a lot of teenagers at the concert, a lot of confusion and a lot of panic but their testimony, as shaken as they might be, will be crucial to this investigation and piecing together the series of events leading to what

we think and what we know is a huge explosion there in manchester at the manchester arena, as people were leaving, in the foyer area. what we know at this stage from police is that 19 people have been killed in that 19 people have been killed in that attack. around 50 people have been injured, in what theresa may, the british prime minister, is calling an appalling terrorist attack. it happened atjust after 10:30pm local time on monday evening in manchester and it came at the end ofa in manchester and it came at the end of a pop concert i the american singer ariana grande. now, of a pop concert i the american singerariana grande. now, as of a pop concert i the american singer ariana grande. now, as tom was saying, the cause is unknown. the focus is very much on an explosion in the foyer, as people we re explosion in the foyer, as people were leaving the venue. at theresa may going on to say her thoughts we re may going on to say her thoughts were with those affected by what is being treated by police as an appalling terrorist attack. they say the explosion was in the arena's foyer, so people would have been going outjust after the end of that

concert, ariana grande sang an encore, and then people started leaving. the main exit therein the foyer, and we were hearing from eyewitnesses and people inside that as that evacuation happened they opened up the side doors, they opened up the side doors, they opened up the fire doors, and people we re opened up the fire doors, and people were also able to leave from the side ina were also able to leave from the side in a scene of absolute panic inside manchester arena. a fantastic night of enjoyment turned into the most appalling event in a split second. on the line now is a man who was at the concert. you must be very shaken as to what happened tonight, what use. help us piece together what use. help us piece together what happened and let you know what you. yes, i was there with my girlfriend and my daughter. it was actually a christmas present for my daughter. and just as ariana grande left the stage, we werejust

and just as ariana grande left the stage, we were just on section 113, on i’ow stage, we were just on section 113, on row l, so we stage, we were just on section 113, on i’ow l, so we were stage, we were just on section 113, on row l, so we were quite close to the stairs, where everyone was leaving. and just as we were passing the shops where they sell t—shirts and all the cats and everything, we we re and all the cats and everything, we were just walking across their and were just walking across their and we heard this week that hang. we didn't obviously know what it was. i didn't obviously know what it was. i did think, you know, i did wonder whether it was, you know, a terror attack, or i didn't know whether they were dismantling the stage and maybe drop something, which caused a big bang. then all of a sudden just... there was just screaming and people started running from behind us, just sort hundreds of people. and just give us a sense, are you safe now, are you safe with your girlfriend and daughter? i hope and assume you are out of the area. yes, we are back in leeds now. we drove

to the event. when we got out i turned to my daughter and said ron, and there were obviously hundreds of people screaming and running. it was just... again, they were running down the stairs and train to get out andi down the stairs and train to get out and i looked behind me and i couldn't see my girlfriend, because they were that many people just screaming and as we got outside and across the street, we were looking back, and luckily she was ringing me asi back, and luckily she was ringing me as i pulled my phone, and she came across and we walked back up to where we parked the car. and your daughter, i am where we parked the car. and your daughter, iam not where we parked the car. and your daughter, i am not sure how old she is, that she must be a huge fan of ariana grande, but she must now be very shaken to what has happened. how do you even come to terms explain what did happen? yes, i mean, she is a massive fan. she has loved her for years. she mean, she is a massive fan. she has loved herfor years. she was really excited. she has got all her albums, i got them for christmas. she has

been looking forward to it since december. she came out from school, today we drove over, and obviously she was shaken up. she is nine years old. so quite scary for her. she was saying, what is happening, what is happening, and i said just keep running. and we got outside and she saw lots of pa rents running. and we got outside and she saw lots of parents and kids crying and shouting. so she was in tears when we got outside. and i understand that one point you lost your girlfriend, so you must have beenin your girlfriend, so you must have been ina your girlfriend, so you must have been in a state of confusion for most of it. how much information we re most of it. how much information were you getting in the aftermath of the explosion? there was nothing. i don't think really anyone knew what had happened. like, when everybody started running, ithought had happened. like, when everybody started running, i thought maybe it was a gunshot. and people had seen it and were just running for their lives. but nobody knew exactly, because where we were, i don't know where it actually happened, but we

heard it, but we didn't actually see anything. wejust heard it, but we didn't actually see anything. we just literally heard a huge bang. don't know where it had come from, what it was. and it was just a nobody else running that made me run, and i thought maybe it was a gunshot. obviously still until we got to the car and put the ready one we didn't know what had happened. yes, it is a common story tonight, not knowing what happened exactly, just hearing that explosion. we are grateful and thankful that you, your girlfriend and your daughter are all safe, and thank you forjoining us here. lets recap what has happened over the course of the last few hours. 19 people have been killed, 50 people injured, as we know, at this stage ina injured, as we know, at this stage in a terrorist attack. at manchester arena in the north of england. we are waiting for a news conference by greater manchester police. it was scheduled for about half an hour ago. it has not happened yet. we

will bring you that as soon as it starts. andy moore is still with us. about the explosion itself, there we re about the explosion itself, there were so many about the explosion itself, there were so many theories about what it might have been, other than the device. those were gradually discounted through the course of the hours. what do we actually know was behind it? well, according to british transport police, the source of the explosion, the seat of the explosion, was the foyer. and according to manchester arena, they say the explosion was in a public space outside the venue. and we have also heard from several eyewitnesses that they were blown actually inside the arena towards the arena by the force of the explosion outside. so it seems clear the explosion was not in the main auditorium. it was on the perimeter of the arena, either in the foyer or near the foyer or outside the building. police sources are talking about a terrorist incident, without being specific. from america, from security sources

there, we are hearing that it may have been a suicide bomber. and it is interesting that we have heard from eyewitnesses here in the uk saying that just before from eyewitnesses here in the uk saying thatjust before the explosion they were given perhaps a few seconds' warning that some security guard said to them run, run. now, we don't know why security guards were issuing a warning like that, but it suggests that they may have had some indication that something was about to happen. we have also heard from eyewitnesses that there were nuts and bolts on the floor after the explosion. again, that may have been just debris from the explosion, but it could have been the sort of shrapnel that you sometimes find in an explosion like this, shrapnel that is built into the bomb to increase the force of the blast and to increase the risk of serious injuries and casualties. and there has been a huge amount of police activity going on all around the venue, including another explosion. this one, though, was a controlled

explosion. that was a controlled explosion. that was a controlled explosion sometime later. police said it was clothing that was left there. it wasn't a suspicious device, but police obviously will be very nervous. the people of manchester will be very nervous. and there may be more reports like this coming in. north—west ambulance service has said they are working obviously flat out. they have told people not to call into ambulance services unless it is a life—saving emergency. we have also heard from the fire service in manchester. they are issuing a similar sort of message, saying they are helping the police and ambulance service. so again the messages going out to people not to call the fire is nervous unless it is absolutely necessary. and that is an indication, isn't it, of the level and severity of some of these injuries, let alone the casualties that have actually happened. you mention the nature of some of these injuries, shrapnel and things like that. there is a distinct

possibility here that the casualty numbers could rise as patients are triage as we speak outside the venue. triage as we speak outside the venue. that's right, the update from the police that lease 19 killed, —— at least 19 killed, 50 injured. in the last 20 minutes or so we have heard emergency services are still working at the scene and they are asking the public to avoid the area. so certainly an ongoing incident there. the ambulance services that, there. the ambulance services that, the police service still there, they are still dealing with casualties. we haven't heard any information from hospitals about how they are dealing with the situation, but i am sure a major incident was declared at some stage, and that means that all the emergency services run with their well rehearsed plan, and come together to deal with an incident like this. for now, many thanks. and as we mentioned, we are waiting for greater manchester police to give an

update and hold a news conference. we will bring you that as soon as it happens. we have also been hearing from so many people who were inside 01’ from so many people who were inside or around the venue when the explosion happened. earlier i spoke to imran, who was waiting to pick up his partner and their daughter when the explosion happened. i was just waiting outside on the old bridge street. i got there at about 10:20pm, maybe. i texted my partner at about 10:28pm, saying — telling her where i was, and she's saying she's just finished the last song, she will be on the way out. and minutes later, i heard a big explosion, and ijust saw my partner and my daughter running towards me. and my daughter was screaming, crying, and my partner said, quickly, let's go. quickly, there's been an explosion, let's go, quick as you can. and i just couldn't get out of there quick enough. and there were just all these people come running down the stairs, screaming, pushing each other,

screaming, crying, and it wasjust — it were manic. but i only heard one explosion. that's all i heard, one explosion. so imran, your partner and your daughter had literally been seconds out of the building when it went off. yeah, literally she was at the top of the stairs when the explosion went off, and literally ran down the stairs with her. and fortunately my car's quite distinctive, so she saw me straightaway. and there were just people running out in front of me, screaming, and i just assumed that they'd seen a celebrity or seen, you know... minutes before, a coach went past me, i thought it might be ariana grande's coach. but then when i saw my partner running towards me, screaming, and my daughter crying. i had heard the explosion, but i thought it was a pyrotechnic going. you know, when you hear a concert,

and when it all finishes, and something goes off to say goodnight, or whatever. i assumed it was that, i really, really did. because you could hear the vibrations from the music from where i was stood outside, but then obviously you heard this big explosion, and it was manic after that. but we fortunately got away. it has taken me over 2.5 hours to get back home. that's extraordinary. and just as you were leaving the scene, could you see scores of people running out onto the street? oh, hundreds and hundreds of people. it was just manic. they were just pushing each other out of the way, people were struggling to get out of the way. it was manic, it really was, yeah. and when you say it took you 2.5 hours to get home, you are in leeds now, are you? that's right. how far away are you, for people who don't the region.

well, it took me about 45 minute to get from my house to manchester arena, but it took me two hours to get home. did you have any idea, when now you hear what has happened, and how terrible the night has been inside manchester arena — how do you respond to it, how do you react? i feel sick. my partner wouldn't even speak to one of yourjournalists on the phone. she is absolutely in bits. she is saying that minutes later i could have been caught up in that. and our daughter has cried herself to sleep. she actually wanted to sleep in bed with us. she's 12 years old, and she's been looking forward to this since christmas. she has been counting the days down, and she had a great evening, and this is... it is crazy, absolutely, absolutely crazy, what is going on. kids at a concert, and some absolute lunatic doing what they are doing, it is crazy. and i would imagine that there are many, many other girls like your daughter, that age, who are fans of ariana grande. oh, god, yeah. like i say, i got there around 10:20pm, and it was already busy earlier.

i checked and assumed it must have finished early, because there were 70 or 80 people already outside. and she's like, no, the last song is still playing. it is just about to be over, and we will be home. so i texted at 10:28pm, and she texted me back, and within 12 minutes i had gone, i had literally sped off. as soon as i got in the car, i got my way through everyone and made it through, really fortu nately. did you imagine that there were casualties inside, from what you heard and saw? no, no. i didn't until — wejust got near the motorway, we heard on the news that there had been fatalities, and my daughter obviously heard it on the radio, and my partner heard it on the radio, and they both just burst out in tears, both of them. for a 12—year—old girl at her first concert, this must be very traumatic indeed. oh, she's in bits. she just wanted to get home.

she's absolutely in bits, she really, really is. i mean, we've been home since i think about 12:30am when we got through the door. we have gone to sleep. we are not even tired, just going around in our head what could have happened, what has happened to the people, and just reading about the kids in the hotel, where they can't find the parents and their guardians, its absolute crazy, and that could have been my daughter. and i wasn't even going to pick them up. they were going to get the train home, and have me meet them in leeds. but i decided to go pick them up, and i'm just so glad i was there to get them. what is going around in our head now is what if. and it shouldn't be like that, but it is, unfortunately. imran, what did your partner say she experienced when she was rushing out? what was it like, what was the explosion like from her perspective? she just said she just heard this bang, and she just literally grabbed hold of my daughter's hand and just

run down the stairs. that's all she said. she was literally feet away from me. she got to the top of the stairs, where the exit was, and the explosion happened. and we just heard one explosion. definitely, definitely heard one explosion. and, like i say, i were — from when the explosion, and when she heard it, to when she got in my car, it was seconds. because i was parked literally ten foot from the exit, from the door, on the old bridge street drive, parked across the road. so, you know, she didn't have time to react. she literally got my daughter and there was all the people screaming. and as soon as the explosion happened, she literallyjust ran down the stairs and ran away. but they knew something was awry. they definitely knew something was awry. they weren't sure what it was, but they knew something was awry. that was imran, who was outside waiting for his partner and daughter. and we have heard from theresa may in the last few minutes. she has issued a statement saying...

she has issued a statement saying... she goes on to say that... we have also heard from the main opposition leader, jeremy corbyn, who is tweeted. .. —— has. leader, jeremy corbyn, who is tweeted... —— has. i've been speaking to alan andrews. he was right at the front near the explosion. yeah, a loud bang, a big one. it was just a huge sound in the left—hand corner. and obviously, as we came out, and came out of the tunnel, to come out of the building,

all the emergency services were on the street, you could hear the sirens, and then obviously when we got in the car to leave, we heard the awful news that people have actually died there tonight. people come right at the back. that is why was purposely done their collectors that is where people are becoming out. and it would have been coming out there then? yes, they would be in peak time, about five minutes after she finished. and you mentioned that people were saying there were different reasons, they won't entirely sure what the noise had come from at the time. but they we re had come from at the time. but they were just had come from at the time. but they werejust running had come from at the time. but they were just running as fast as they could. yes, i heard one or two girls screaming. they saw blood 01’ two girls screaming. they saw blood or something. so there must see what

other people were like, i not sure. but there were try to protect the kids, because there were a lot of kids. where there are a lot of teenagers and young people with their children as well? yes, they would be the largest part of the crowd. and a lot of them were waiting outside, worryingly, when i was walking out as well. and when you left, was anybody there to help people live in an orderly fashion? yes, the stewards were and the police attending. the stewards did a good job, to be fair, because some of them did not know what was going on, and which is following protocol. so to be fair to them, they did a good job in the circumstances. as we we re good job in the circumstances. as we were walking out, the alarm went off, calling for people to evacuate. so that is when you knew it was serious. luckily, iwas ready so that is when you knew it was serious. luckily, i was ready on the street, then. let's return to andy moore, whojoins us

street, then. let's return to andy moore, who joins us with the latest. you have been following the story since the developments broke. just give us a sense of how much we do know, and what we are still waiting to find out. we know from greater manchester police that there was an explosion. they have not identified the source of it. they say they are treating it as a terrorist incident. they say at least 19 people have been killed, and 50 injured. we have from british transport police that the seat of the explosion was in the foyer area. heard from manchester arena saying that the explosion happened outside their venue in a public space. what we do not know is really because of the explosion. we get a reports from us security sources, talking about a suicide bomber. now, that has not been confirmed by british police yet. we are expecting a press conference to happen shortly. certainly, some of

the eyewitnesses have talked about the eyewitnesses have talked about the blast being outside the building, and they were blown into the arena by the force of the explosion. and one eyewitness talked about nuts and bolts lying around on the floor after the explosion. that might have been debris from the force of the explosion, or may have been shrapnel that was included in the blast to increase the injuries it could cause. so the crucial question is really whether this was a bomb timed to go off, or if it was a bomb timed to go off, or if it was a suicide bomber. we may get an a nswer to a suicide bomber. we may get an answer to that in the upcoming press conference. as we look at these pictures of friends and family carrying each other out to safety, and the heavily armed police, there, we do talk about the scenario of what happened at manchester arena. it is one of the biggest indoor venues in europe, let alone the uk. there is a severe terror warning in

the uk at the moment. we have had terror attacks quite recently in the uk. you would assume that expect this to be heavily fortified and well manned. it sounds like from the testimony we have heard this evening that people were free to leave quite easily without much hassle. they have said that there were security checks on people going into the arena, but, it seems, the explosion was actually outside the arena. this was actually outside the arena. this was also, it you must around, a public space, in the heart of the city. the railway station is nearby. how can you police an area like that? if indeed it turns out that it was a suicide bomber with a backpack, how could police stop this kind of attack? this is the great worry for the security services. they can maintain a security perimeter inside a venue like this, but they cannot police the area

outside. and it seems as if the explosion was timed to create maximum casualties, as it were leaving the building, to be met by their parents in many cases, outside. it seems that many of the youngsters, teenagers, some as young as 12 or13, youngsters, teenagers, some as young as 12 or 13, would have been heading for the foyer to buy merchandise. they would have been a lot of people milling around in that public area outside the venue. and that, it seems, is when the explosion occurred. thank you for being with us, andy, and helping us piece together what actually happened in manchester. let's bring you up—to—date with what happened. we now know that 19 people have been killed, with 50 or so people injured, in the terrorist attack inside, orjust outside, manchester arena, just after a concert by the american singer ariana grande. we have a live page on our website

where you can keep up to date with all the latest developments. do stay with us here bbc news. for now, here is the weather. hello there. last week, across the british isles, the weather came from this area of low pressure. we change the week and the nature of the weather due to high pressure close to us through most of the week. lots of this kind of thing. blue skies here for monday. buttercups enjoying the sunshine and fairly cloudy fare here in northern ireland. further north towards inverness, a lot of cloud. it was a dank old kind of day on monday. that weather feature is moving as we start tuesday towards the northern isles.

a chilly start to parts of scotland. further south, high pressure not in place yet. this air comes from the atlantic and it is warm and moist and will be all over the channel islands and the isles of scilly, coming into the west midlands as well. some of it sitting very low across the moors in the south—west in the western hills of wales. further east, further north, dry and bright and sunny for the most part. you still have the weather front close to the northern isles. cloud and the odd shower passing through the central belt of scotland. not a great deal changes very rapidly through the day. it stays fairly cloudy in the southern counties of both england and wales. the cloud knowing ever eastwards. —— the cloud rippling ever eastwards. a lot of fine weather in the midlands, northern england, the central part of scotland as well. more cloud for northern ireland later on. eventually, the weather front thickening the cloud in the west of scotland.

if you are heading to chelsea and the next few days, you have certainly picked a good year, because look at this — it's fine and settled fare all the way, thanks to the high pressure. on wednesday it will certainly have risen up, influencing much more of the british isles for the greater part of the day. still not quite doing enough to keep the frontal systems away from the northern and north—western parts of scotland. enough in the way of cloud, again, for bits and pieces of rain. further south, variable amounts of cloud. temperatures getting into 2a, 25. later in the week, it will be dry. lots of sunshine. watch out for the strength of the sun. uv levels will be higher. turning very warm. certainly towards the end of the week and the start of the weekend, we could be pushing in some spots towards 30 degrees. this is bbc news. british police confirm at least 19 people have been killed in an explosion at a pop concert in manchester. they accept its a "terrorist incident." witnesses report hearing

a powerful blast at the end of the ariana grande concert. dozens of people have been injured. senior counter—terrorism officers are meeting in london and co—ordinating with the government. the prime minister condemns it as an "appalling terrorist attack." the explosion was behind us. it blasted us forward. everyone of seven foot was pushed behind us. as isaid seven foot was pushed behind us. as i said before, seven foot was pushed behind us. as isaid before, quite seven foot was pushed behind us. as i said before, quite a seven foot was pushed behind us. as isaid before, quite a number of people were fatally injured.