Ariana Grande 'broken' after young fans targeted by Manchester Arena bomber

Singer Ariana Grande has said she has been left "broken" after a suicide bomber launched an attack at her concert killing 22 people, including children.

The chart-topping star, who has a huge following among young girls, spoke of her heartbreak in the wake of the atrocity, which also left 59 people wounded, some with life-threatening injuries.

The authorities say 12 of those injured are aged 16 or under.

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Following the attack, 23-year-old Grande tweeted: "From the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."

Prime Minister Theresa May called it "a callous terrorist attack...that targeted some of the youngest people in our society".

Those confirmed dead in the attack include eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos, who was at the concert with her mother and her older sister.

Another victim was 18-year-old student Georgina Callander, who had posed for pictures with the American singer in the past.

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Born in Boca Raton, Florida, in 1993, Grande started out as a child actress, winning awards for her performance in a Broadway play aged just 15.

From there she moved into TV where she eventually landed her breakthrough role in Nickelodeon's Victorious, as a goofy aspiring singer-actress named Cat Valentine.

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Though panned by critics, the show was very popular among the channel's child audience.

After a number of less successful roles, including in a spin-off show, she moved to singing full-time.

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Her first two albums, Yours Truly (2013) and My Everything (2014), topped the US charts, while 2016's Dangerous Woman reached number two. In all, she has sold around 2 million copies.

Her popularity has been fuelled by a strong social media presence on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, helping to grow her fan base, known as 'Arianators'.

She has more than 45 million followers on Twitter, many of whom have posted supportive messages in the wake of the attack.