Pop star Ariana Grande has suspended her "Dangerous Woman" tour in the wake of a terror attack following her concert in Manchester that left 22 people dead, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

The decision came less than one day after the explosion at the concert, which occurred after Grande had finished performing. 22 people were killed and 59 injured, including children.

ISIS has claimed responsibility.

Grande expressed her sorrow in the hours following the incident.

"Broken," the singer tweeted. "From the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."

Grande was physically unharmed, a source close to the situation told CNN.

Grande's management put out a lengthier statement, saying "words can not express our sorrow for the victims and families harmed in this senseless attack."

The Manchester concert was to be the first of three concerts in the UK.

Her next concert was set to take place on May 25 at the O2 Arena in London.

Other dates included shows in Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland. </s> London: The Manchester Police confirmed on Tuesday that a lone male suicide bomber was behind the explosion that killed at least 22 people, including children, during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.

According to the Independent , Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins, confirmed the attack was carried out by one man although detectives were still trying to establish if he "was acting alone or as part of a network".

Witnesses reported hearing a "huge bomb-like bang" at around 10.30pm on Monday, as fans were leaving the arena shortly after a show by Ariana Grande finished.

British Prime Minister Theresa may have condemned the "appalling" incident and suspended her General Election campaign.

She is to hold Government's emergency committee, Cobra, meeting at around 9am on Tuesday morning in the aftermath of the attack.

The attack is being touted as the worst in Britain in a decade.

Last England saw such a deadly terror attack was in 2005 when on July 7, which killed 52 people after terrorists carried out a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks in central London targeting civilians using the public transport system during the rush hour.

Also, in 2009, the Manchester police had thwarted a major terror bid to attack Manchester's Arndale shopping centre on the busy Easter bank holiday weekend.

With up to 90,000 shoppers in or near the shopping centre at the time, police believe an attack would have killed hundreds and maimed thousands.

A student identified as Abid Naseer (29), linked to al-Qaeda, who plotted the mass suicide bomb attack was jailed for 40 years in 2015. </s> British police said an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena killed 22 people, including children, and injured 119. (Published Wednesday, May 24, 2017)

At least 22 people including children were killed and more than 50 injured in a suspected suicide bombing at Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert Monday night, British police said.

Ian Hopkins, chief constable of the Greater Manchester police, told reporters that officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. He added that it is believed a single attacker carried and detonated an improvised explosive device around 10:33 p.m. local time and then died at the arena.

Hopkins said officials are now working to establish if the attacker was part of a network or acted alone, adding that more than 400 officers have been deployed in the "fast-moving" investigation. A 23-year-old man was arrested in South Manchester in connection with the bombing, police said Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May early Tuesday called the attacker a "terrorist" who acted "to cause maximum carnage and kill and injure indiscriminately."

She said the incident is "amongst the worst terrorist incidents we have ever experienced in the United Kingdom" and "stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice."

May added that authorities believe they know the identity of the attacker but did not confirm the name.

The government was expected to call an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham called the incident the "darkest of nights" and "an evil act."

"Manchester is today waking up to the most difficult of dawns," Burnham told reporters.

Multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation told NBC News that preliminary reports indicate the explosion took place outside the arena on the southwest side, opposite the Manchester Victoria transit station, which is part of the greater arena complex.

Photo credit: Google Earth, NBC

If the incident is confirmed as a terrorist attack it would be the most deadly in Britain since the London subway bombings in 2005.

Concertgoers described the scene after the explosion.

Majid Khan, 22, said, "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," he told Britain's Press Association.

Initial reports from the scene relayed to U.S. officials note that a number of the casualties may be from the stampede that occurred after the incident, according to NBC News.



Late Monday, Grande tweeted: "broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words."

Joseph Carozza, a representative from Grande's record label, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the singer is OK and they are investigating what happened.

Other public figures and politicians, including President Donald Trump, responded to the attack as well.

On social media, people shared videos of people rushing from the arena and ambulances arriving.

“I just heard a loud bang right after the concert," Ivo Delgado told NBC News. "Only heard one. People started screaming and going to the other side of the arena. When we left [the main arena] there was smoke and people lying on the floor."

Video from inside the arena showed concertgoers screaming as they made their way out amid a sea of pink balloons.

Many on Twitter were using the hashtag #RoomForManchester to offer spare rooms or other resources. Several hotels in the area were among those offering a room to those stranded in the area, the Manchester Evening News reported.

Hopkins said emergency numbers have been set up for people concerned about their loved ones, and he encouraged anyone to send video or photos that may help in the investigation.

Facebook activated its Safety Check feature for people to mark themselves as safe or check on friends or loved ones.

The Dangerous Woman Tour is the third concert tour by Grande to support her third studio album, "Dangerous Woman." The tour began on February 3, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

From Manchester, the tour is to move through Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, through the summer with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and on to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and more. There was no immediate word from Grande's team on the upcoming stops.

Manchester Arena, which can hold 21,000 people, is the largest indoor arena in Europe, according to its website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia </s> LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the blast at a pop concert in Manchester, England (all times local):

Police investigating the Manchester Arena suicide bombing have arrested a 24-year-old man after seizing a car deemed significant to the investigation.

This is a handout photo taken from CCTV made available on Friday June 2, 2017 and issued on by the Greater Manchester Police of Salman Abedi, at an unknown location in Greater Manchester, England in the days just prior of the attack on Manchester Arena. More than 20 people were killed in the explosion at the Manchester Arena on Monday May 22, 2017. (Greater Manchester Police via AP)

The man was arrested Friday on suspicion of offenses contrary to the Terrorism Act after police cordoned off an area in southern Manchester visited by the bomber, Salman Abedi. A bomb-disposal team was called out and the car was removed.

The man was the 17th person detained in connection with the May 22 attack that killed 22. Eleven remain in custody.

Pop star Ariana Grande has made a surprise visit to her young fans injured in the Manchester Arena.

The attack at Grande's concert last week killed 22 people and injured dozens of others, many of them teenagers.

Grande shared an image of her visit to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital with her 107 million Instagram followers. The caption was simply a heart.

Other images show her hugging children in their beds and posing with nurses gathered on the ward.

Grande returned to Britain on Friday ahead of the One Love Manchester concert on to benefit victims.

Peter Mann, whose daughter Jaden was hurt, posted images of the visit on Facebook.

He wrote he was so happy, "i could burst! Never seen jaden so happy!even cried again myself." </s> A pair of explosions or “loud bangs” occurred at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena tonight. Though a representative confirmed to Variety and Billboard that Ariana herself is okay, multiple fatalities have been confirmed. It is unconfirmed what the source of the explosions was, but a fan-shot video above shows the chaotic scene inside the venue. Police have responded to the scene, and issued a statement that multiple fatalities have occurred:

Updated statement from the police puts the death count at 19 and confirmed fatalities at fifty injured:

The Independent spoke to 22-year-old Majid Khan, who was inside the venue at the time:

“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 around 10.40-10,45pm-ish, 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.”

More video from the scene is emerging:

Emergency vehicles and responders are on the scene. The Greater Manchester Police posted the following message on Twitter, asking fans to avoid the area: “Emergency services responding to serious incident at Manchester Arena. Avoid the area. More details will follow as soon as available.”

Bystanders and concert attendees are sharing further posts on social media:

Some hoax photos have been circulating, so be discerning while searching for and sharing information about the event.

According to NBC News reporter Tom Winter, police have told him there are hundreds of casualties and at least twenty confirmed deaths:

And CNBC Now is reporting that UK officials who briefed US officials on the matter suspect that the attack was committed by suicide bomber, but nothing has yet been confirmed:

This is a developing story and will be updated throughout. </s> MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The Latest on the blast at an Ariana Grande concert in northern England (all times local):

Greater Manchester Police say they have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the apparent suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in the city.

Police say the man was arrested in south Manchester Tuesday, a day after the explosion killed 22 people and injured 59, many of them teenagers.

They did not provide details.

Police also said officials arrested a man at the Arndale shopping center in central Manchester — but that the arrest is not believed to be connected to Monday night’s attack.

Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni says efforts are underway so that this week’s G-7 summit in Sicily will yield a stronger, common anti-terrorism commitment.

Condemning the bombing that killed 22 people in Manchester, England, Gentiloni told reporters Tuesday in Rome that the summit on Friday and Saturday provides the opportunity to insist that “the cowardliness that snuffs out the lives of young people won’t get the better of our freedom.”

He said Italians can count on the “dedication and professionalism” of their nation’s security forces to ensure international events are carried out safely.

He says he planned to call British Prime Minister Theresa May to express “closeness, solidarity” to Britons.

Police have evacuated a large shopping center in Manchester, England. Police declined to comment on media reports that they have arrested a man there.

July McKenzie, who was shopping when the Arndale shopping center, said: “We were just in the shop and could hear people screaming and security guards telling everybody to get out.”

Some people left the scene in tears, while others waited outside the mall.

The Arndale center was rebuilt after an IRA bombing in 1996.

Turkish officials say they “strongly condemn” the attack in Manchester and promised to work together with the United Kingdom against terror. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Turkey “shares the pain of the state of England and the English people” in the attack that killed 22 people.

Turkey has been hit by a string of attacks blamed on the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants since 2015, killing at least 550 people.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says that it is “beyond doubt” that Britain and the city of Manchester have fallen victim to “a callous terrorist attack.”

Speaking outside her offices in London, she says “Although it is not the first time Manchester has suffered in this way, it is the worst attack the city has experienced, and the worst ever to hit the north of England.”

May says police believe they know the attacker’s identity but are not disclosing it immediately.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says police and security staff in Manchester believe they know identity of the apparent suicide bomber who attacked people leaving an Ariana Grande concert Monday night, but they are not revealing the name for the time being.

Speaking in London, May said: “This attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice.”

She says the attack, in which 22 people died, was one of the worst the nation had suffered.

Harun Khan, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, has joined the condemnations of the Manchester attack.

In a statement, Khan says: “This is horrific, this is criminal. May the perpetrators face the full weight of justice both in this life and the next.”

He adds: “I urge all those in the region and around the country to pool together to support those affected.”

Finance ministers from the 28 European Union countries, including Britain’s Philip Hammond, observed a minute’s silence in memory of those killed and injured in the attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Ahead of the regular EU meeting of finance ministers, Hammond expressed his condolences to the victims and their families of “this barbaric attack” in Manchester.

“It is, as far as we know, a terrorist incident,” he said. “We are treating it as such.”

Hammond, who was due to speak at a panel in Brussels, is to return to London at the meeting’s conclusion instead.

Flags are also flying at half-staff outside the European Commission in the heart of the Belgian capital.

France’s interior minister says the government will be issuing instructions Tuesday to regional administrators on working with event organizers on how to secure public spaces.

After a high-level security meeting in Paris Tuesday, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said organizers of sports events, concerts and other performances already had a series of instructions on how to secure their venues. Collomb said France’s airports have also been secured.

France has been on heightened alert since the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks that struck a concert, the national stadium and cafes and bars.

Early Tuesday, the Paris mayor’s office said all shows and concerts scheduled in coming days are going ahead as planned. Ariana Grande is scheduled to perform in Paris on June 7.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to boost anti-terror cooperation with Britain in the wake of a deadly explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.

In Tuesday’s telegram to British Prime Minister Theresa May, Putin offered condolences over what he called a “cynical, inhuman crime” and wishes for a quick recovery of all those hurt.

Putin reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to “expand anti-terror cooperation with British partners, both on bilateral level and within the framework of broad international efforts.”

Britain and other NATO allies have cut cooperation with Moscow on fighting terrorism over Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and support for a pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Manchester police say an apparent suicide bomber set off an explosive device at the end of the concert, killing 22 people.

Former Manchester United soccer star David Beckham posted on Facebook: “As a father & a human what has happened truly saddens me. My thoughts are with all of those that have been affected by this tragedy.”

In targeting Manchester, the attacker struck at one of Britain’s cultural hearts. The once gritty industrial city, with London and Liverpool, has been one of the main cultural influences on modern Britain, with its iconic Manchester United football team, its cross-city rival City and chart-toppers Oasis, The Smiths and other globally famous bands. Oasis singer Liam Gallagher tweeted that he is “in total shock and absolutely devastated.”

Peter Hook of Manchester bands New Order and Joy Division tweeted that his daughter “made it home safe” from the Ariana Grande concert and added: My heart goes out to all parents & those involved. Manchester stay strong.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has denounced the “ugly terrorist attack” in Manchester, speaking after a West Bank meeting with President Donald Trump. Abbas says he is sending his condolences to the British prime minister, the British people and the families of the victims.

Both Trump and the Palestinian leader opened their remarks with a condemnation of the attack in which 22 people were killed by a bomb blast during a concert in the city in northern England.

President Donald Trump is expressing solidarity with the United Kingdom in the wake of a deadly explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, condemning the “evil losers” behind the blast.

Trump spoke Tuesday after a meeting in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (mahk-MOOD’ ah-BAHS’).

Manchester police say an apparent suicide bomber set off an improvised explosive device at the end of the concert, killing 22 people.

Trump says the attack preyed on “innocent children.” He says this “wicked ideology must be obliterated. And I mean completely obliterated.”

Manchester police so far have said nothing about the attacker’s identity or possible motivation.

Social media users are helping the desperate hunt for people missing in the Manchester concert bombing by circulating names and photos with the MissingInManchester hashtag.

The city’s regional government and its mayor, Andy Burnham, were among scores of Twitter users that circulated the hashtag to help people seeking missing family members and friends.

Those named as missing included Olivia Campbell. Her mother, Charlotte Campbell, said the 15-year-old attended the Ariana Grande concert with a friend from school who has since been found and is being treated in a hospital. But Olivia is missing, having last called home just before the concert, the mother told ITV television’s Good Morning Britain breakfast show.

She says: “I’ve called the hospitals. I’ve called all the places, the hotels where people said that children have been taken and I’ve called the police. If anyone sees Olivia, lend her your phone, she knows my number.”

A Czech woman who was at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester says that “there was almost no security check, rather zero. They let us get in without any check if we have anything with us.”

Nikola Trochtova told the Czech public radio that “the only thing they were interested in was if we had any bottles of water with us. They almost didn’t check our bags, they didn’t take a look.”

She says she was leaving the venue when she heard an explosion at the entrance, but learned the details only after returning to her hotel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it’s “incomprehensible” that someone would target a pop concert to kill and wound people.

Merkel said in a statement Tuesday that the attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester “will only strengthen our determination to keep acting together with our British friends against those who plan and carry out such inhuman deeds.”

She added: “I assure people in Britain that Germany stands beside you.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says Europe is mourning with Britain after a bomb killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester.

Juncker said in a statement Tuesday that “today we mourn with you. Tomorrow we will work side by side with you to fight back against those who seek to destroy our way of life.”

He adds: “It breaks my heart to think that, once again, terrorism has sought to instill fear where there should be joy, to sow division where young people and families should be coming together in celebration.”

NATO’s chief is expressing solidarity with Britain after a bomb attack in Manchester killed 22 people, just as leaders of the military alliance prepare to meet to discuss counter-terrorism.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet Tuesday that “NATO stands with the U.K. in the fight against terrorism.” He also said his thoughts were with all those affect by the “barbaric” attack.

President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders at to gather in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways the military alliance can do more against terrorism.

The German government is offering condolences to Britain after the deadly explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel wrote Tuesday on Twitter: “Terrible news from Manchester! Our thoughts are now with our British friends. United we stand.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, tweeted: “Our thoughts (and) prayers are with the people in #Manchester affected by the blast. We mourn for the dead (and) hope the injured can recover fully.”

France’s government is offering sympathy and solidarity following the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester which killed 22 people.

In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would continue to work with Britain to fight terrorism. Macron said he would speak with British Prime Minister Theresa May to stay abreast of developments.

Paris has grim experience with the type of attack that struck Britain, after multiple Islamic State attackers struck a concert hall, the national stadium and cafes and bars on Nov. 13, 2015, killing 130 people.

The White House says President Donald Trump is being provided updates on the Manchester concert explosion by his national security team.

Trump is in the midst of his first overseas trip as president. He’s meeting Tuesday in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and speaking at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

His spokesman Sean Spicer provided the update on Twitter.

Manchester police say an apparent suicide bomber set off an improvised explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

Police raised the death toll to 22 early Tuesday, and dozens more have been reported injured.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins says forensic investigations are continuing to determine if the attacker had accomplices. He provided no information about the individual who detonated the device.

Greater Manchester Police have raised the death toll in a blast at an Ariana Grande concert to 22.

The force’s chief constable, Ian Hopkins, said Tuesday they believe one person carried out the attack. Police are trying to determine if the person acted alone or had support in the Monday night blast.

Police say some 400 officers were deployed overnight to help with the investigation.

Officials say children are among the victims.

Police say they are treating an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in northern England as terrorism. Greater Manchester Police says the blast killed at least 19 people, and the ambulance service says 59 people have been taken to hospitals.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins says police are treating the blast as an act of terrorism “until we know otherwise.”

There was panic after the explosion, which struck around 10:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) Monday night as Grande was ending the concert.

Grande, who was not injured, tweeted hours later: “Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don’t have words.”

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn says he and Prime Minister Theresa May have agreed to suspend election campaigning until further notice.

Corbyn said Tuesday he is “horrified” by the events in Manchester and that his thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have died and been injured.

Campaign events ahead of the June 8 general election will now be put on hold as Britain comes to grips with the incident and its aftermath.

Corbyn says he had spoken with May after the explosion.

Australia’s prime minister has told the Australian Parliament that the deadly explosion at Manchester Arena appeared to be a “brutal attack on young people everywhere.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the British were treating the blast that killed at least 19 people and injured more than 50 as a terrorist attack, although its cause was unknown.

Turnbull says: “This incident, this attack, is especially vile, especially criminal, especially horrific because it appears to have been deliberately directed at teenagers.”

In Tokyo, a spokesman for the Japanese government condemned the attack.

Campaigning has been suspended in Britain’s national election after a deadly explosion at Manchester Arena.

Prime Minister Theresa May canceled campaign events Tuesday after the blast, which killed at least 19 people and injured more than 50. She is due to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee, COBRA, later.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron canceled a campaign tour to Gibraltar after the explosion.

Britons are due to go to the polls on June 8.

A number of Manchester taxi services offered free rides to people stranded by the incident.

The taxi companies posted messages about the free rides on Twitter after an explosion at Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert Monday night. The blast killed 19 people and injured dozens more.

The service could also be used by people trying to get to local hospitals to look for loved ones.

In addition some city residents opened their homes to provide overnight lodging for people who were stranded by the shutdown in some train services because of the incident.

City officials said the true spirit of Manchester was surfacing in the hours after the incident.

The Department of Homeland Security says there is no evidence of credible threats against music venues in the U.S., as England reels from an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert late Monday.

The department says the U.S. public may experience increased security in and around public places and events.

DHS says it is closely monitoring the situation at Manchester Arena and working with U.K. officials to obtain additional information about the cause of the explosion.

The government is urging U.S. citizens in Manchester to heed directions from local authorities and be vigilant about their security.

The explosion killed at least 19 people and injured dozens. Police say they are treating as a terrorist attack.

Frantic loved ones of young people missing after an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert have taken to Twitter and Instagram with their photos and pleas for help.

Many Manchester residents responded early Tuesday with offers of shelter and details on locations where displaced concert-goers had been taken in.

The 23-year-old Grande, true to her youthful fan base, is a social media phenomenon with 105 million followers on Instagram and 45.6 million followers on Twitter. Her fans, proud “Arianators,” were among those who took to Twitter with prayers and tears.

Taylor Swift tweeted, “My thoughts, prayers and tears for all those affected by the Manchester tragedy tonight. I’m sending all my love.”

Ellie Goulding, Cher (fresh from a big night at the Billboard Awards) and Katy Perry were among others to tweet their support. </s> A SUICIDE bomber has killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester.

Some 59 people were also injured when the blast caused by an improvised explosive device carried by the attacker detonated at the Manchester Arena.

A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the bomb attack.

The Queen has expressed her "deepest sympathy" to all those affected by the Manchester bomb attack, adding that "the whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury".

​Announcing that the death toll had risen, Greater Manchester Police chief constable Ian Hopkins said: "What I can confirm is that there are children among the deceased."

He said: "This has been the most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester and one that we all hoped we would never see.

"Families and many young people were out to enjoy a concert at the Manchester Arena and have lost their lives.

Condemning the atrocity, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: "This was a barbaric attack, deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable in our society - young people and children out at a pop concert."

She added: "The great city of Manchester has been affected by terrorism before. Its spirit was not bowed; its community continued.

"This time it has been a particular attack on the most vulnerable in our society - its intention was to sow fear - its intention is to divide. But it will not succeed."

"Our thoughts are with those 22 victims that we now know have died, the 59 people who have been injured and their loved ones.

"We continue to do all we can to support them."

Mr Hopkins said a "fast-moving investigation" had established the attack was conducted by one man, although detectives are working to establish if he was "was acting alone or as part of a network".

"The attacker, I can confirm, died at the arena.

"We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated, causing this atrocity."

Witnesses reported hearing a "huge bomb-like bang" at around 10.30pm on Monday, as fans were leaving the arena shortly after a show by Ariana Grande finished, and described glass and metal nuts on the floor.

The Prime Minister has condemned the "appalling" incident and General Election campaigning has been suspended.

Downing Street said a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee is expected to take place at around 9am on Tuesday morning chaired by Theresa May.

Grande, the US singer who finished performing minutes before the blast, said she had been left "broken" by the events.

Police say a number of people have died in a reported explosion at Manchester Arena pic.twitter.com/yEYF7tVVWF — Press Association (@PA) May 22, 2017

Robert Tempkin, 22, from Middlesbrough, said: "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."

A family from Newcastle said they were missing two family members and had been unable to contact them.

A middle-aged woman said her partner, aged 32, and daughter, 19, were outside the arena to pick up her younger daughter who attended the concert.

She said: "There was a bang, a massive explosion". They have not been seen or heard of since and are not answering their phones.

A father described seeing "carnage everywhere" in the wake of an explosion at Manchester Arena that left around 30 people, including children and disabled victims, lying on the floor.

The man, named Andy, said he was blown "about 30ft" by a blast that shook the building as he waited to collect his wife and daughter at the end of a concert by US artist Ariana Grande.

He said he later saw panicking families trying to find loved ones in the wake of the incident on Monday night.

He said: "It's shocking what happened. Just carnage everywhere. There was a good 20 to 30 of them [victims]. Some were young kids, some were disabled people."

Andy said he helped emergency services treat the wounded who were "scattered" by a blast near a box office.

He said: "As I was waiting an explosion went off and it threw me through the first set of doors about 30ft to the next set of doors.

"When I got up and looked around there was about 30 people scattered everywhere, some of them looked dead, they might of been unconscious but there was a lot of fatalities.

"My first thing was to run in the stadium to try and find my wife and daughter.

"When I couldn't find them I looked back outside and the police, fire and ambulance were there and I looked at some of the bodies trying to find my family.

"Luckily they weren't there, I managed to find them outside the arena and got them back to the hotel."

this experience was absolutely horrible however the concert was amazing!!!! i bloody love ariana but this just ruined. #DangerousWomanTour pic.twitter.com/gXgFVIOKco — princess~kye~kye (@crazy_kyia) May 22, 2017

One fan at the concert described how the explosion hit the venue as fans were leaving the building.

Majid Khan, 22, said: "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 around 10.40-10.45pm-ish 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."

Jade Baynes, 18, from Hull, was told to run from the area by armed police after leaving the concert arena.

She said she heard loud bangs and what sounded like gunshots just after the entertainment had finished.

She added: "There were just a loud bang and a flash and everyone tried to scramble out.

"An alarm came on telling everyone to stay calm but leave as quickly as possible."

Jade and her friend Jasmine Mia, 21, also from Hull, said there appeared to be some sort of commotion in the first tier of the arena, with a number of stewards stood around the seats.

Armed police have now swamped the streets around the arena and police are moving members of the public away from the area.

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."

Footage posted online by one concert-goer shows fans filing out of the building while an announcer attempts to maintain calm.

The voice can be heard saying: "Ladies and gentleman, please take your time, there's no need to bunch up, there are no problems here - just take your time and keep exiting the building."

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 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."

Suzy Mitchell, 26, whose flat is opposite the venue, reported a huge bang rocking the neighbourhood.

She said: "(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."

Liverpool City Region metro mayor Steve Rotheram tweeted: "My 2 daughters caught up in the Manchester explosion at the arena. They are thankfully safe, but I fear for others."

He posted later: "Confirmed deaths at the Manchester arena. Feel sick to think that people have lost their lives at a gig attended by so many young people.

"All my thoughts go out to those parents waiting to hear of the safety of their children. It's a parents worse nightmare. So, so sad."

A woman who said she worked at the arena as staff but did not want to be named said: "All I know is it sounded like a bomb."

Another concert-goer, a woman with her husband and three young children, said as the concert ended here was a loud bang and everyone leaving the venue then rushed back in.

She said: "I just freaked. Everyone started screaming. We did not see any explosion but it smelt bad, like burning."

Several people on the streets who had been to the gig were visibly upset and in tears and did not want to speak.

Twelve children under the age of 16 were among the 59 casualties taken to hospital after the terror attack.

David Ratcliffe, medical director of the North West Ambulance Service, said 12 patients were taken by ambulance to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

It is not known how many children were among walking wounded who went to hospitals.

In a statement read outside the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Jon Rouse, Chief Officer of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, expressed "deep condolences" to the victims and their families.

He said: "It's been a terrible night and morning in terms of Greater Manchester. Although we have also seen some of the best aspects of Greater Manchester and the people who live there as well."

Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for their loved ones who may not have returned home, these numbers are 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900 </s> MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Investigators hunted Tuesday for possible accomplices of the suicide bomber who attacked an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and sparking a stampede of young concertgoers, some still wearing the American pop star’s trademark kitten ears and holding pink balloons.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Monday night carnage, which also left 59 people wounded, though a top American intelligence official said the claim could not be verified. British police raided two sites in the northern English city and arrested a 23-year-old man at a third location.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and police said the bomber died in the attack on Manchester Arena — something that went unmentioned in the Islamic State claim, which also had discrepancies with the events described by British officials.

Manchester police chief Ian Hopkins identified the bombing suspect as 22-year-old Salman Abedi but gave no other details. British election rolls listed Abedi as living at a modest red brick semi-detached house in a mixed suburb of Manchester where police performed a controlled explosion Tuesday afternoon.

Neighbor Natalie Daley said she was frightened by a loud bang, then police yelling, “Get in your houses — get away from the windows!”

 “When it’s like two seconds from your house, when you walk past it every day, you do live in fear,” Daley said.

Manchester, 160 miles (260 kilometers) northwest of London, is one of Britain’s largest cities and Manchester Arena is one of the world’s largest indoor concert venues.

Campaigning for Britain’s June 8 national election was suspended in the aftermath of the attack, the deadliest in Britain since four suicide bombers killed 52 London commuters on subway trains and a bus in July 2005.

Teenage screams filled the arena just after the explosion Monday night, and members of the audience tumbled over guardrails and each other to escape.

The attack sparked a nightlong search for loved-ones — parents for the children they had accompanied or had been waiting to pick up, and friends for each other after groups were scattered by the blast. Twitter and Facebook lit up with heartbreaking appeals for the missing.

An 8-year-old girl was among the dead — the youngest known victim — and her mother and sister were among the wounded in what May called “a callous terrorist attack.” The wounded included 12 children under age 16, hospital officials said.

“We struggle to comprehend the warped and twisted mind that sees a room packed with young children not as a scene to cherish but as an opportunity for carnage,” May said.

The top U.S. intelligence official, Dan Coats, said the American government had not verified whether or how Islamic State was responsible.

Some concert-goers said security was haphazard before the show, with some people being searched and others allowed inside unhindered. The bombing took place at the end of the concert, when the audience was streaming toward the city’s main train station.

Witnesses said the blast scattered bolts and other bits of metal, apparently intended to maximize injuries and deaths.

“There was this massive bang. And then everyone just went really quiet. And that’s when the screaming started,” said 25-year-old Ryan Molloy. “As we came outside to Victoria Station, there were just people all over the floor covered in blood. My partner was helping to try to stem the blood from this one person. … They were pouring blood from their leg. It was just awful.”

The train station, which is adjacent to the arena, was shut down for coming days, authorities said.

With public transport halted, Manchester residents opened their hearts. Taxis offered stranded people free rides home while some residents invited those without lodging into their homes. Twitter users circulated the MissinginManchester hashtag to help people looking for family and friends.

 Grande, who was not injured in the blast, tweeted: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words.”

Hayley Lunt had taken her 10-year-old daughter Abigail to her first concert. She said the explosions rang out as soon as Grande left the stage.

 “We just ran as fast as we could to get away,” Lunt said. “What should have been a superb evening is now just horrible.”

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II marked a moment of silence Tuesday afternoon to honor the victims. Accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, as well as Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the queen stood at the top of the steps leading down from Buckingham Palace as the national anthem played.

The first confirmed victim was Georgina Callander, whose death was reported by her former school. The Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy in Croston, northwest of Manchester, posted a photo of Georgina on its website, smiling in her school uniform. It described her as “a lovely young student who was very popular with her peers and the staff.”

Saffie Roussos, 8, was the youngest victim identified so far. The head teacher of the Tarleton Community Primary School in Lancashire described her as “simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word. She was loved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly. Saffie was quiet and unassuming with a creative flair.”

The Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility echoed others the extremists have made for attacks in the West but with vague details that left open the possibility it was an opportunistic attempt at propaganda.

U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting the West Bank city of Bethlehem, said the attack preyed upon children and described those responsible as “evil losers.”

“This wicked ideology must be obliterated. And I mean completely obliterated,” he said.

Grande’s Dangerous Woman tour is her third one and supports her album. After Manchester, Grande was due to perform in London on Thursday and Friday, and later at venues elsewhere in Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, with concerts in Latin America and Asia to follow.

Grande’s tour has not been canceled or postponed despite reports online, said a person close to the situation, adding that Grande and her team were focused on the victims. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the topic.

The Manchester Arena postponed concerts by the pop group Take That scheduled from Thursday through Saturday.

Pop concerts have been a terrorism target before. Most of the 130 dead in the November 2015 attacks in Paris were at the Bataclan concert hall.

Manchester itself has seen attacks before, but not this deadly. The city was hit by a huge Irish Republican Army bomb in 1996 that leveled a swath of the city center. More than 200 people were injured, although no one was killed. </s> London: Two of Britain’s main parties, including the ruling Conservative party, day decided to suspend its campaign for the general election after the terrorist attack in London, which killed six persons and injured 48 others.

The ruling Conservative party announced that it was suspending its campaign following the attack just days before the polls on 8 June involving a van and three terror suspects, who were shot dead by Metropolitan Police armed officers.

“The Conservative party will not be campaigning nationally today. We will review as the day goes on and as more details of the attack emerge,” a Tory party spokesperson said.

The Opposition Labour party has also indicated that all planned campaign events for today would be called off. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has also called off its campaign for Sunday. However, the suspension will not include local campaigning, and local candidates will have the freedom to use their judgement.

Also Read: Incident in London is ‘potential act of terrorism’: Theresa May

London mayor Sadiq Khan said he is “passionate believer in democracy” and would not want to see the election date being affected by the latest incident. “There can be no justification for the acts of these terrorists and I’m quite clear we’ll never let them win nor we will allow them to cower our city or Londoners,” he said.

A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge on Saturday night before three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market, a very busy area of central London. Scotland Yard said the three men were wearing what looked like suicide bomb vests, which later turned out to be fake.

Also Read: London terror attack: Outrage and solidarity over ‘cowardly’ attacks

All three suspects were shot dead by armed officers on the scene within eight minutes. “We are treating this as a terrorist incident and a full investigation is already under way,” said Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley.

The latest attack is the third terrorist strike in the UK this year, with campaigning also suspended for three days last month after suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 victims at a concert in Manchester on 22 May. Earlier this year, on 22 March, terror suspect Khalid Masood mowed down four pedestrians to death before stabbing to death a police officer on duty at the UK Parliament. PTI
Campaigning in the United Kingdom general election is suspended after the bombing at the Manchester Arena. The death toll is 22 with 59 injured. ISIL claims responsibility. Singer and actress Ariana Grande suspends her Dangerous Woman Tour.