Yahoo News 'Blood and bodies everywhere’: Witnesses describe aftermath of Manchester attack
Concert-goers and witnesses have described the chaos after an apparent suicide bomb attack in the Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande concert, which killed at least 22 people and injured about 50 more.
Police have issued a number for people to call if they are concerned about relatives or loved ones: +44 (0)161 856 9400
Here are some of the witness accounts:
'I saw bodies lying on the ground'
Andy Holey, who had gone to the venue to pick up his wife and daughter who had been at the concert, told the BBC: "As I was waiting, an explosion went off and it threw me about 30 feet from one set of doors to the other set of doors.
"When I got up I saw bodies lying on the ground. My first thought was to go into the arena to try to find my family.
"When I couldn't find them, I went outside with the police and fire and looked through some of the bodies to try and find my wife and daughter."
Mr Holey told BBC that he did find his family and they were unhurt.
"It was definitely an explosion and it was some force. It happened near the box office at the entrance to the Arena."
'We heard the last song go, then suddenly a massive flash and then a bang and smoke'
Gary Walker from Leeds told BBC Radio 5 Live he was hit by shrapnel in his foot and his wife sustained a stomach wound as they waited for their daughters to come out of the concert.
"We heard the last song go and then suddenly there was a massive flash and then a bang and smoke," he said.
'It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest'
Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters that she felt a massive explosion as she was leaving the concert.
"We were making our way out and when we were right by the door there was a massive explosion and everybody was screaming.
"It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out of the area."
'Everyone was in a huge state of panic'
Majid Khan, 22, went to the concert with his sister. He described how the explosion hit the venue as they were leaving the building.
"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 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 as they were trying to exit Trinity Way – and that was blocked, so everyone was just running to any exit they could find as quickly as they could.
"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."
'In so much shock and panic'
Oliver Jones, 17, was at the concert with his 19-year-old sister.
He said: "I was in the toilet and heard a loud bang just after the concert had finished and people had started to leave.
"The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.
"I seen people running and screaming towards one direction and then many were turning around to run back the other way.
"Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers.
"Reports of blood and people injured."
He added: "In so much shock and panic. You see this on the news all the time and never expect it to happen to you. I just had to run and make sure me and my sister were safe."
'There was a sound like thunder'
A barman at the nearby Steven Charles Snooker Club, who gave his name as Tyler, said he saw people lying on the ground covered in blood.
"We've had a few people in with panic attacks and in all kinds of disarray," he told the Press Association.
"We've got four girls here - trying to get them sorted to get picked up.
"There was a gentleman on the floor with his leg all bleeding and woman with blood down one side of her face.
"We felt something but didn't know what it was - there was a sound like thunder.
"One girl had a panic attack and another had streaming tears, a woman had a heart attack just outside.
"It's a lot of teenagers - they're all in tears."
Explosion rocks Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, in pictures
'I heard a huge bang'
Suzy Mitchell, 26, whose flat is opposite the venue, reported a huge bang rocking the neighbourhood.
She told the Press Association: "(I) just heard a huge bang from my bed, came out to the front of my apartments (we're on the top floor so have perfect view) and everyone was running away in big crowds.
"The bang was so big I heard it from my room which is at the back of the apartment blocks.
"Currently lots of emergency services going to and from. But can't see anything substantial as of yet except fleeing people and lots of cars."
'Lucky to have gotten away'
Robert Tempkin, 22, from Middlesbrough, told the BBC: "Everyone was screaming and running, there were coats and people's phones on the floor. People just dropped everything.
"Some people were screaming they'd seen blood but other people were saying it was balloons busting or a speaker had been popped.
"There were lots of ambulances. I saw somebody being treated. I couldn't tell what had happened to him."
'The corridor was full, it smelled of burning'
Isabel Hodgins, an actress who had been attending the concert, told Sky News: "Everybody was panicking, there was pushing up the stairs.
"The corridor was full, it smelled of burning, there was quite a lot of smoke as we were leaving.
"It's just shocking and we just feel very shaken up. We're just lucky to have gotten away safely," she said.
Police have issued a number for people to call if they are concerned about relatives or loved ones: +44 (0)161 856 9400
