19 killed, 50 injured in suspected terrorist blast in Britain

Nineteen people have died and around 50 others were injured following a suspected terrorist explosion at the venue of a pop concert Monday in the city of Manchester in northern England, local police said. Police said they were called to reports of an explosion around 10:30 p.m. at the concert at the Manchester Arena by U.S. pop singer Ariana Grande. (Getty) "This is currently being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise," Greater Manchester Police said on Twitter. Some media reported that initial signs point to an attack by a suicide bomber, citing U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. British Prime Minister Theresa May called the incident an "appalling terrorist attack," and said authorities are working to establish the full details of the blast, according to local media reports. Witnesses heard loud bangs at the end of the concert. Singer Grande was not injured. Details of the incident have yet to be confirmed with conflicting information coming from witnesses, some of whom heard one bang and others two bangs. The police said they carried out a controlled explosion near the concert venue as a precautionary measure and confirmed that the destroyed object was abandoned clothing. (Getty) Eyewitness Christopher Allen, 36, told Kyodo News he was meeting relatives who had been attending the concert. After receiving a call from his sister-in-law inside the venue, he guided her and her 8-year-old daughter by telephone towards the exit, before escorting them away from the scene. "My sister-in-law Sarah phoned me to say something had happened, she sounded confused, and asked if I knew what was happening," he said. "I could hear her daughter, our niece, screaming and crying. Sarah said she'd heard a bang and everyone was panicking and trying to get out." He added that there was a lot of confusion at the scene, saying "the area was full of people moving all over, very confusing, and many people were crying, upset." "We saw a number of people on the roadside being treated by paramedics." Police are advising the public to avoid the area around the concert venue. The incident follows a terrorist attack in London involving a vehicle on March 22 near parliament, which left five people dead and more than 50 injured. Ariana Grande has a large following among children and teenagers, and local media in Britain carried numerous reports of children attending the concert for their birthdays or as late Christmas treats. Following the incident, the singer said she was "so so sorry."

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