Deaths, injuries after reports of explosion at Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena

[morosco]

In a statement, police said there are a "number of confirmed fatalities" as well as additional injuries. Authorities are telling people to avoid the area.

[songanddanceman2]

This is the city I live in, reports are all over the place, we can say explosion has happened and some are dead but that's all we seem to know for sure at the moment. 

[morosco]

MSNBC is currently reporting that at least 20 are dead.

 

 

[songanddanceman2]

That seems to be getting reported in the US but they ain't saying it on UK news yet, just that fatalities are confined.

A friend has just got home with bits of human flesh and blood on her. This sounds awful. It seems to be in the foyer of the street exit (ticket area), the opposite entrance to the Train Station that is attached to it. Some are saying a nail bomb. 

[songanddanceman2]

Police here in Manchester are confirming that they are treating it as a possible terror attack. 

[Broadway Joe]

Horrendous, gotta be the religion of peace at it again. 

[songanddanceman2]

19 confirmed dead. 50 injured. 

[qolbinau]

How many people have to get run over, shot, planes flown into buildings, gay people isolated or killed, women treated like second class citizens before we can finally reject the absurd notion of 'the religion of peace'?

We need to radically change our education systems now to improve critical thinking skills and reduce the prevalence of religious beliefs in society until it kills us all. This is the biggest intellectual battle of our time. 

 

[South Florida]

We're not gonna stop bombers at events in my lifetime.  Hope my last show is a good one.

[songanddanceman2]

'We're not gonna stop bombers at events in my lifetime.  Hope my last show is a good one.'

Really????

[Liza's Headband]

South Florida said: "We're not gonna stop bombers at events in my lifetime.  Hope my last show is a good one."

 

I hope you are the only one at the show when it happens, and that it happens relatively soon so we can be spared of your drunken ramblings. Begone, you putrid POS. 

[SNAFU]

They are saying that forensic experts on the scene are confirming from body parts and other evidence that it was a suicide bomber

[songanddanceman2]

Yes US media is reporting that before here in the U.K. Had a few friends there tonight but they are all safe thank god. Manchester has yet again shown how fast we come together and support each other, the help, love etc in this city right now is incredible. They have tried to hurt us before with bombs and it didn't work, it won't this time either, 

[PalJoey]

 

So sorry for your friend, songanddanceman, and for all the victims and their families, and for Arianna., who released this statement:

 

Ariana Grande ?@ArianaGrande

broken. 
from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.

10:51 PM - 22 May 2017

 

The suicide bomber's bomb didn't destroy his head, which is more than can be said for some of his victims. The police have been able to ID him from his head. 

 

 

[@z5]

Heartbroken by this terrible event. So, so sad. 

Another one for the most peaceful religion in the world. 

[adamgreer]

Why is everyone assuming this was an Islamic terrorist? Has that been reported? All I'm seeing in any of the news articles is that it was a "suicide bomber." Nothing about the religion or nationality of the bomber has been reported by any media outlet. While it may end up being an Islamic terrorist, perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. 

[qolbinau]

They haven't confirmed it, no. I do take your point of waiting until we are sure. However, the relationship between religious adherence and mass casuality bombings in western countries in recent times is not randomly distributed across religious adherence though - so much so that I would guess a statistical model would almost perfectly predict our assumption. I would eat my hat if it were not an Islamic terrorist. 

[MoveOnGypsy]

This is a horrible tragic attack but this has nothing to do with Islam. I will say and continue to believe this until the day I die. Islam is not responsible for terrorism. Small minded and hateful people of all races and religions perpetuate this behavior. Until we start teaching THAT, nothing will be resolved. 

[Broadway Joe]

adamgreer said: "Why is everyone assuming this was an Islamic terrorist? Has that been reported? All I'm seeing in any of the news articles is that it was a "suicide bomber." Nothing about the religion or nationality of the bomber has been reported by any media outlet. While it may end up being an Islamic terrorist, perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. 

 

"

Suicide bomber, terrorist attack, and ISIS has claimed responsibility. We have seen enough of these types of things to know exactly what this is about. 

[Liza's Headband]

MoveOnGypsy said: "This is a horrible tragic attack but this has nothing to do with Islam. I will say and continue to believe this until the day I die. Islam is not responsible for terrorism. Small minded and hateful people of all races and religions perpetuate this behavior. Until we start teaching THAT, nothing will be resolved. "

 

It actually does. It has to do with the radical perversion of Islam. No one is directly blaming the religion, just as no one would directly blame the religion of christianity for a racist who happens to be christian. At the end of the day, however, the Islamic faith must have its own "reformation;" just as christianity experienced many moons ago. It is people like you who end up blocking the continued path to Islamic reformation. One must admit and acknowledge the pervasive nature of radical Islamism in order to eventually quash it. Naivety is dangerous and, in this case, downright deadly. SHAME ON YOU  

[javero]

So sorry for all the victims and their families.  Hopefully, radicalized adherents to the world's religions will either learn to coexist peacefully with the rest of humanity or be purged from the planet.

[Dave28282]

MoveOnGypsy said: "This is a horrible tragic attack but this has nothing to do with Islam. I will say and continue to believe this until the day I die. Islam is not responsible for terrorism. Small minded and hateful people of all races and religions perpetuate this behavior. Until we start teaching THAT, nothing will be resolved. "

 

It has everything to do with Islam. Small minded and hateful people are everywhere, but the real problem is when people act out of religion, and let their thoughts, deeds and identity be defined by one of thousands of made up gods, there is no human responsibility.  If they think they are doing things (good or bad) for a god, there is zero responsibility and reasoning possible. That is the dangerous part. Good deeds for a religion are also very disconnected from the true human mind. Just as bad deeds.

As long as we raise people with the idea that their identity is defined by a god/religion, we create people disconnected from the human mind and those people will never truly understand right from wrong.

You can say "it has nothing to do with islam/god/religion" and "we must hold people responsible for their actions", but these suicide bombers do it for their made up god, they have the delusion that it is their identity and are fully convinced that what they are doing is right. It's not like we are talking about evolved human minds here. They think Allah is patting them on their back and they go to heaven with 10 virgins. Even if the bomber would survive and spend the rest of his days in prison, he would still feel like a hero. This will not change, because a full identity was never formed. These people blow themselves up because paradise is promised. There is no other truth in their minds.


Many religious people think that gays must die too, just because. Just because one of their made up gods says so. No journey, no life experience, no reasoning. No truth.
 
I really think that laws should be sharpened, and kids in school should be taught that a person's identity does not come from religion. That those are 2 separate things. Until we start teaching THAT, nothing will be resolved. 
 
What you are doing right now, pointing with a finger to others, "you can't blame the reason out of which someone committed this crime, because other people make up different gods who are kind" is by no means the solution. In fact, thinking like that means you are part of the problem. Shame on you (or on whatever god you think defines you).

[Jane2]

ISIS has claimed responsibility.

[PalJoey]

And the president has made a characteristic statement:

 

“As President of the United States, and on behalf of the people of the United States, I would like to begin by offering my prayers to the people of Manchester in the United Kingdom. I extend my deepest condolences to those so terribly injured in this terrorist attack, and to the many killed and the families — so many families — of the victims. We stand in absolute solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom.

“So many young, beautiful innocent people living and enjoying their lives murdered by evil losers in life. I won’t call them monsters because they would like that term. They would think that’s a great name. I will call them from now on losers, because that’s what they are. They’re losers. And we’ll have more of them. But they’re losers. Just remember that.

“This is what I’ve spent these last few days talking about during my trip overseas. Our society can have no tolerance for this continuation of bloodshed. We cannot stand a moment longer for the slaughter of innocent people. And in today’s attack, it was mostly innocent children. The terrorists and extremists, and those who give them aid and comfort, must be driven out of our society forever. This wicked ideology must be obliterated, and I mean completely obliterated. Life must be protected.”

“All civilized nations must join to protect human life and the sacred right of our citizens.”

[PalJoey]

Contrast with the Queen's statement:

 

"The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert.

"I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured.

"I want to thank all the members of the emergency services, who have responded with such professionalism and care.

"And I would like to express my admiration for the way the people of Manchester have responded, with humanity and compassion, to this act of barbarity."

[wonderfulwizard11]

ISIS often claims responsibility for terror attacks they have nothing to do with- it's a way of stoking fear, not actual proof.

Until there is any actual word from authorities, it is utterly pointless to assume this attacker was Muslim. This is a tragedy and it's sickening how the first impulse of some of you is to cast blame on Muslims. Some of you should be ashamed that that's your first reaction.

It is heartening to see the response from the city of Manchester, taking kids into their home if they've been lost in the chaos. Like the Pulse attack, this makes me truly sad- most of the people are this concert we're kids trying to have a fun night out. Awful in every respect.