Manchester Arena Incident (22/05/2017)

Blindtraveler · 23 May 2017

gimmea50anyday said:
Manchester Victoria has been evacuated and the area sealed off after an explosion occurred in the arena above during the Ariana Grande concert. Fatalities have been reported and police are warning people to stay away from the area.

News is still breaking but all services in and out of MCV are suspended or diverted into Manchester Oxford Road

Hope your OK mate? Im rather shocked too as I rode through MCV myself on Sat, departing for Preston on a pacer loaded with take that fans aged 10 to 50 or so and so can appreciate the happy atmosphere that you will have been working in tonight. Dont blame yourself for working the train or doing your job, noboddy could have known.

Thoughts to all the staff everywhere and rail employees dealing with this.

RIP to the victims and get well soon to the injured.

RailUK Forums

Puffing Devil · 23 May 2017

Media reporting Victoria closed tomorrow, though trams will run through.

Terrible, senseless, attack.

ANorthernGuard · 23 May 2017

My thoughts to everyone involved in this horrible horrible incident.

CarlSilva · 23 May 2017

Qwerty133 said:
Islamic state have claimed responsibility according to some members of the alt right media. Please take these reports with a pinch of salt unless and until more mainstream media begin to report the same.

Yep. I see there was a video on facebook arelier on with some loon dressed up in garb, claiming responisibilty.. Not sure if it was gen, but either way, I'm not giving the sick twunts the satisfaction of posting it on here.

Stonesourscotty · 23 May 2017

Tag the police in said video and let's all remember Manchester 'will not be beaten'

Antman · 23 May 2017

I'm just waking up to the shocking news, all the more appalling that it appears children were the target. My thoughts go out to all concerned.

Election campaigning has been suspended in the wake of this atrocity.

On a more positive note there are reports of taxi drivers taking people home free of charge, something like this does bring out the best in people.

Stonesourscotty · 23 May 2017

I personally believe that it was also targeting American performers. Let's not forget they where targets in Paris also

Crossover · 23 May 2017

Terrible news - I heard the news last night and clearly its transpired to be far worse than anyone first imagined. RIP to the victims

shredder1 · 23 May 2017

What a terrible thing, I can still remember the IRA bombings, deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims. I`m working 2 miles from there today.

chris89 · 23 May 2017

It is incredibly shocking this.

Although have to sadly ask, how security was though? As when went to see Iron Maiden at the NIA in Birmingham on Sunday. There didn't appear to be none at all (At least i didn't see any)

Antman · 23 May 2017

Sadly the death toll has risen to 22.

A Challenge · 23 May 2017

Worst terror attack since 7/7, and we've had the Westminster attacks
Edit: Holiday Inn taking in unaccompanied children, and there may have been shrapnel in the bomb, as shrapnel-like injuries.

source: BBC Radio London
BBC news live

childwallblues · 23 May 2017

Death toll is now 22. Seems that it was a suicide bomber.

backontrack · 23 May 2017

An absolutely senseless and appalling occurrence.

My thoughts are with all the families of the deceased, and I really hope that all those in hospital pull through and that their families are OK.

This is a sad, sad day.

bnm said:
Targeting children?

Scum. Sub-human filth.

Agreed. And it really shows the callousness of these attackers.

Antman · 23 May 2017

Aside from the physical injuries there is also the trauma many of these children will have suffered, something like this would be difficult enough for adults to come to terms with.

I listened to the mother of missing Olivia Campbell on TV pleading for news of her daughters whereabouts, just heart breaking.

ChiefPlanner · 23 May 2017

CarlSilva said:
Yep. I see there was a video on facebook arelier on with some loon dressed up in garb, claiming responisibilty.. Not sure if it was gen, but either way, I'm not giving the sick twunts the satisfaction of posting it on here.

Did you report it - not just to Facebook but to the relevant authorities. ?

Bletchleyite · 23 May 2017

jbc said:
Aside from the physical injuries there is also the trauma many of these children will have suffered, something like this would be difficult enough for adults to come to terms with.

I was 16 and in Manchester during the 1996 attack, which while the physical damage was rather worse was less serious in that there were no deaths because a warning was given. It took quite some time afterwards to stop thinking and obsessing about the what-ifs of it all. So, yes, it'll be hard for many

Deliberately[1] bombing children, though....

[1] I think I know the argument that will emerge, and suspect it will be to do with children being killed accidentally during air strikes in the Middle East, but that's rather different

Bletchleyite · 23 May 2017

chris89 said:
Although have to sadly ask, how security was though? As when went to see Iron Maiden at the NIA in Birmingham on Sunday. There didn't appear to be none at all (At least i didn't see any)

Not relevant, the attack took place in the entrance foyer which would have been outside any airport-style security arrangement, if it is laid out how I think it is (been a while). But even so the security would probably have been stepped down by the end of a concert. Re the NIA pretty sure I got a pat-down when I went to see Biffy Clyro there not long ago.

If that bit had been covered by airport-style security, they'd just have set it off further back or in the queue. Indeed, I suspect if there had been the opportunity to hit a dense security queue of people it'd have been much worse - this is a big consideration when deciding whether to set up that kind of arrangement.

I genuinely don't believe this kind of "lone wolf" attack (which I think it probably was) can be prevented. I think we are going to have to live with the occasional attack of this nature for quite some years to come

AlterEgo · 23 May 2017

Parties have paused campaigning for the general election today.

Howardh · 23 May 2017

Bletchleyite said:
Not relevant, the attack took place in the entrance foyer which would have been outside any airport-style security arrangement, if it is laid out how I think it is (been a while). But even so the security would probably have been stepped down by the end of a concert. Re the NIA pretty sure I got a pat-down when I went to see Biffy Clyro there not long ago.

If that bit had been covered by airport-style security, they'd just have set it off further back or in the queue. Indeed, I suspect if there had been the opportunity to hit a dense security queue of people it'd have been much worse - this is a big consideration when deciding whether to set up that kind of arrangement.

I genuinely don't believe this kind of "lone wolf" attack (which I think it probably was) can be prevented. I think we are going to have to live with the occasional attack of this nature for quite some years to come

Clearly it will all emerge after the investigation, but
yes- how far back can you do security, example at airports, wherever you have screening there will be a queue behind;
also
I note at sporting events the gates are often opened well before full time, and anyone can walk in/out unchecked. Was this the case last night? Clearly it's a security weakness as a bomber can strike right at the end and the result is the same.

Bletchleyite · 23 May 2017

Howardh said:
I note at sporting events the gates are often opened well before full time, and anyone can walk in/out unchecked. Was this the case last night? Clearly it's a security weakness as a bomber can strike right at the end and the result is the same.

It could well have been. The probable solution to this is that security will need to remain in place until the event has emptied out, preventing anyone getting in in that way.

But with "lone wolves", all that will do is move the problem.

And even so, if the attack was by the McDs as some suggest it was, that's a public area, anyone can go in and go to the McD's. But if it wasn't, they could have still attacked further back.

The one type of attack we are probably relatively safe from in the UK is the automatic weapon attacks as our gun control is so strong, but that just means we will see other types of attack instead.

Antman · 23 May 2017

Howardh said:
Clearly it will all emerge after the investigation, but
yes- how far back can you do security, example at airports, wherever you have screening there will be a queue behind;
also
I note at sporting events the gates are often opened well before full time, and anyone can walk in/out unchecked. Was this the case last night? Clearly it's a security weakness as a bomber can strike right at the end and the result is the same.

Walk out yes but nobody should be able to walk in although reality is that it's very difficult to prevent.

As you rightly say, there will be a queue wherever there are security checks.

Antman · 23 May 2017

Bletchleyite said:
I genuinely don't believe this kind of "lone wolf" attack (which I think it probably was) can be prevented. I think we are going to have to live with the occasional attack of this nature for quite some years to come

Absolutely, just impossible to prevent.

pemma · 23 May 2017

Bletchleyite said:
I was 16 and in Manchester during the 1996 attack, which while the physical damage was rather worse was less serious in that there were no deaths because a warning was given. It took quite some time afterwards to stop thinking and obsessing about the what-ifs of it all. So, yes, it'll be hard for many

Indeed. The police had evacuated the immediate area were using a robot to try to disarm the bomb. They were close to preventing the explosion altogether.

Manchester pre-1996 IRA bombing was very different to Manchester yesterday. It was a rundown city in urgent need of redevelopment, some actually say the IRA inadverently did Manchester a favour because the redevelopment process got speeded up.

Deliberately[1] bombing children, though....

[1] I think I know the argument that will emerge, and suspect it will be to do with children being killed accidentally during air strikes in the Middle East, but that's rather different

At the moment that's speculation. It could be the arena was targeted because an American singer well known internationally was performing there opposed to the demographic of the audience.

Tetchytyke · 23 May 2017

Bletchleyite said:
And even so, if the attack was by the McDs as some suggest it was, that's a public area, anyone can go in and go to the McD's. But if it wasn't, they could have still attacked further back.

That's really the issue, unfortunately.

With the Arena, you have security as you enter the main arena. I had a pat down when I went to see Placebo, and it was only half-full then.

The foyer is public, you walk straight in from the station. So you have to security screen everyone entering the station. Fine, so someone can just stand on the cab rank and do this sort of **** there instead. When I've been to big gigs at the Arena I've still been walking in a crowd of people as far away as Piccadilly Gardens after the gig. How far do you spread the security cordon?

It is simply impossible to prevent, all we can do is keep up the fight against hate. Ignore, completely ignore, the perpetrator, and focus on the people of the north west- including many Muslims- who threw their homes and their hotels and their restaurants open. Just as those communities always have done.

Ignore the lone wolf, focus on the many small acts of kindness.

richw · 23 May 2017

Sadly it's just popped up on my push messages on my iPhone that all the deceased are believed to be under the age of 18. :'(

Antman · 23 May 2017

jcollins said:
Indeed. The police had evacuated the immediate area were using a robot to try to disarm the bomb. They were close to preventing the explosion altogether.

Manchester pre-1996 IRA bombing was very different to Manchester yesterday. It was a rundown city in urgent need of redevelopment, some actually say the IRA inadverently did Manchester a favour because the redevelopment process got speeded up.

At the moment that's speculation. It could be the arena was targeted because an American singer well known internationally was performing there opposed to the demographic of the audience.

It's also the anniversary of the murder of Lee Rigby and he was born in Manchester, whether that has any bearing?

Antman · 23 May 2017

richw said:
Sadly it's just popped up on my push messages on my iPhone that all the deceased are believed to be under the age of 18.

Which makes it all the more sickening. I'm old enough to remember the IRA campaign, even those b*stards had some code of conduct.

sonorguy · 23 May 2017

richw said:
Sadly it's just popped up on my push messages on my iPhone that all the deceased are believed to be under the age of 18.

I'd take that with a pinch of salt. There's a lot of nonsense on FB etc about the casualties at the moment, but some eyewitness reports are of adults among the dead too and there were people waiting for children or who had gone to the concert with children. I suspect this is an extrapolation of the pictures of the people who couldn't be contacted in the early hrs.

Just remember that at least one of the dead is the bomber, who is unlikely to be under 18. The authorities tend to keep casualty information VERY close to their chest until all the families and NoK have been identified. Very rarely does it get out before a formal information release.

sonorguy · 23 May 2017

jbc said:
Which makes it all the more sickening. I'm old enough to remember the IRA campaign, even those b*stards had some code of conduct.

No they didn't, they murdered children indiscriminately too, Enniskillen, Omagh, Warrington and many others.

Their apologists may tend to re-write history by saying they were targeting the security forces but the truth of it is that they didn't care who they killed.

Manchester Arena Incident (22/05/2017)

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