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Manchester Arena explosion, live updates: Suicide bomber named as Salman Abedi

Georgina Callander, pictured two years ago with Ariana Grande, and , right, eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos
Georgina Callander, pictured two years ago with Ariana Grande, and, right, eight-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos

At least 22 people have died and 59 left injured (including 12 children) after an “appalling terror attack” at the Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande pop concert. Here are the latest updates:

Suicide bomber named as Salman Abedi
• A 23-year-old man has been arrested as Isis claim responsibility for atrocity
First victim named student Georgina Callander, 18, who had met Ariana Grande two years ago.
Saffie Rose Roussos
, aged eight, also died in the attack, along with John Atkinson, 26.
• ‘Evil losers’: Donald Trump responds to attack
Katie Hopkins reported to police for hate speech tweet
• All parties suspend general election campaigning in wake of terror attack
Ariana Grande tweets: ‘From the bottom of my heart, I am so, so sorry.’
• Video shows moment concert-goers flee in terror
• Eyewitnesses: ‘People were lying on the ground covered in blood’
• People in Manchester open their homes to victims
• An emergency number is available for those who are concerned about loved ones or anyone who may have been in the area: 0161 856 9400

Here are the latest updates:

Here is how the events of the night unfolded:

Monday, 6pm: Doors open at Manchester Arena in the north of the city centre. US pop singer Ariana Grande is on the bill for a sell-out concert at the 21,000-capacity venue. Fans, many of them teenage girls, excitedly share selfies as they wait for the show to begin.

7.30pm: Show’s scheduled start time. After a performance from support act BIA, an American rapper, Grande takes the stage.

10.30pm Show’s scheduled finish. Thousands of fans begin to file out of the arena’s four exits.

A “huge bomb-like bang” is heard at the arena. Witnesses describe being knocked from their feet by an explosion and seeing dozens of injured, possibly dead, people including children lying on the floor. Others describe panic as concert-goers run for exits.

10.35pm: Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are called to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena. Dozens of emergency services vehicles stream into the area.

10.55pm: Police urge people to stay away from the area as responders deal with a “serious incident”.

11.46pm: Police say there have been a number of confirmed fatalities.

Tuesday, 1.10am: Nineteen people are confirmed dead and around 50 others injured following the suspected explosion police say is being treated as a terrorist incident.

1.35am: A controlled explosion is carried out on a suspicious item in the Cathedral Gardens area near Manchester Arena. It is later confirmed to be abandoned clothing.

2.15am Prime Minister Theresa May says her thoughts are with the victims and families of those affected in “what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack”.

3.04am Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Greater Manchester Police, says: “My thoughts are very much with those who have been injured and lost their lives. We are currently treating this as a terrorist incident until we have further information. This is clearly a very concerning time for everyone.
I want to thank people for their support and ask them to remain vigilant.”

4am Campaigning has been suspended in Britain’s national election after a deadly explosion at Manchester Arena.

7am Greater Manchester Police confirm death toll has risen to 22, and that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

9am An emergency meeting of Cobra is convened.

Greater Manchester Police said there are a “number of confirmed fatalities and others injured” and emergency services are at the scene after reports of an explosion.

Witnesses said they heard two loud bangs inside the arena coming from the area of the bars.

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.”

Oliver Jones, 17, who attended with his 19-year-old sister, said: “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.”

Manchester’s Victoria station, which backs on to the arena, has been evacuated and all trains cancelled.