London – A total of 22 people have been confirmed dead after an explosion at Britain’s Manchester Arena late Monday, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said on Tuesday.
The lone male attacker who detonated a home-made device in the foyer of the venue around 2130 GMT after a concert by US singer Ariana Grande died in the attack, he confirmed.
“We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe at this stage the attack last night was conducted by one man,” Hopkins was cited by the Press Association as saying.
“The priority is to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network.
“We believe the attacker was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity.”
Hopkins confirmed that there were children were among the dead.
At least 59 people were injured in the attack.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who was to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee later Tuesday, suspended campaigning by her Conservative party in the country’s upcoming general election.
“All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected,” May said in a statement.
The other political parties also suspended campaigning.
Grande, 23, said she was “broken” by the news of the deaths.
“From the bottom of my heart I am so, so sorry,” she wrote on Twitter. “I don’t have words.”
Messages of condolence have been pouring in from around the world.
-dpa
