Unconscious mother of 8-year-old Manchester attack victim Saffie 'doesn't know her daughter died'

The injured mother of eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos, the youngest known victim of the Manchester attack, is believed to be unaware her daughter is dead, a friend has said. 

Lisa Roussos, 48, was unconscious in intensive care after being hit by shrapnel on Monday when the homemade device exploded in the foyer of the Manchester Arena following the concert by US pop star Ariana Grande.

Saffie's sister, Ashlee Bromwich, was also injured and is being treated is a separate hospital. 

"Saffie's sadly passed away and her mother, we understand, isn't aware," Salman Patel, who knows Saffie's family, told the Daily Mail. "I am praying for the family, it is totally heartbreaking."

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Saffie was among the first of the 22 victims to be named.  Another victim was named by her college as Georgina Callander, who was studying health and social care at Runshaw College in Leyland, Lancashire. Fifteen people were still missing. 

Tributes were also paid to 26-year-old John Atkinson from Bury, who was named by friends on Facebook as an apparent victim.

Mr Patel, who works opposite the family home in Tarleton, near Leyland, Lancashire, said Saffie's dad Andrew had gone to Manchester Arena to collect his family.

"He went to pick them up and arrived to find his wife in a critical condition, his elder daughter injured and his younger daughter lost," he said.  

"I am praying the mum pulls through and copes with the tragedy of finding out when she does about her daughter."

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The death of Saffie was described by her headteacher as "heartbreaking".

Chris Upton, of Tarleton Community Primary School, said: "Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word."

Around 1,000 people attended a vigil in Tarleton for Saffie and Georgina which took place in front of friends and family as an entire community rallied together.

Britain was on critical terror alert on Tuesday night with military troops set to bolster police forces amid fears the attacker Salmon Abedi did not act alone.

Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the threat level to the highest possible rating, meaning another atrocity is expected imminently.

She said a "wider group of individuals" could have been involved in the Manchester Arena blast rather than just suicide bomber Abedi.

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