The police confirmed that an explosion at a concert on Monday night was being treated as a terrorist incident.
A police officer outside a residential property near where a man was arrested in the Chorlton area of Manchester, England, on Tuesday. (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth)
The suspected bomber has been named as Salman Abedi, according to Associated Press. Prime Minister Theresa May refused to comment on the reports. British officials had earlier in the day said that the identity of the suspect, who died in the attack, was known to police.
The first three victims of the attack to be named are 18-year-old Georgina Callander, 8-year-old Saffie Rose Roussos, and 26-year-old John Atkinson. All died from injuries received during the attack.
David Ratcliffe, the medical director of North West Ambulance Service, told reporters that 12 children under the age of 16 were among 59 people taken to hospitals with injuries. The Guardian reports that victims of the blast have reportedly had to have surgery to remove metal bolts from their bodies.
The Islamic State, the terrorist group also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday morning via Amaq, a news agency linked to the group, according to the Press Association.
ISIS later released a statement in English, saying the bombing was carried out by "a soldier of the Khilafah."
The Greater Manchester Police carried out raids in connection to the attack across the city on Tuesday, and a 23-year-old man was arrested. A controlled explosion was also carried out in the Fallowfield area of Manchester as part of the raids.
Prime Minister Theresa May condemned what she called a "callous attack," and US President Donald Trump called it the work of an "evil loser." The two held a phone call Tuesday morning, with Trump offering US aid in investigating the attack.
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The explosion occurred at about 10:30 p.m. local time at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Manchester police said the attacker was a lone man "carrying an improvised explosive device, which he detonated causing this atrocity."
The police on Tuesday said the attacker died in the explosion.
23-year-old arrested, armed police raid flat
Hopkins said: "We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names ... There is a complex and wide-ranging investigation under way."
At 11:50 a.m. local time on Tuesday, the Press Association cited the Greater Manchester Police as saying a 23-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack, reportedly outside a supermarket in the Chorlton area.
Manchester-based journalist Ed Caesar, a freelancer who has written for The New Yorker and the Sunday Times, has tweeted a picture that he said was the 23-year-old being arrested.
Armed police officers later raided two addresses near the Chorlton area of Manchester, The Guardian reports. The man who the police suspect of carrying out the attack is believed to have lived in a flat raided by the police, the paper reports.
Police investigators work at residential property in south Manchester, Britain May 23, 2017. (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth)
"Police have executed warrants, one in Whalley Range, and one in Fallowfield, where a controlled explosion took place, as part of the investigation into last night's horrific attack at the Manchester arena."
The Guardian quotes the owner of the management company that runs the flats as saying:
"All the people are living here are families. I can't believe that. I did not know them personally but have a good number coming from outside the UK, like students, but we don't have any people living on their own. It is not good news.
"We have students from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya and then families from Manchester. They are two-bed flats. They are from every race."
More armed police have reportedly arrived at an address in Manchester at 3.30 p.m. local time, according to the Guardian's North of England correspondent.
Interpol is in "close liaison" with the UK police and its National Central Bureau in Manchester, the BBC reports.
Hopkins has appealed to the public to upload any pictures or videos to this service to aid the police investigation.
The Arndale Shopping Centre in central Manchester, near the site of the attack, was evacuated on Tuesday lunchtime but was quickly reopened. One man was arrested on the scene, but it is unclear whether there is any link to the bombing.
May: A 'callous terrorist attack'
Hopkins did not name the victims, but The Evening Standard named Callander, 18, as one of the 22 people killed. Friends on Tuesday said she was one of the first people rushed to hospitals after the attack.
Roussos, 8, has also been named as among those who died in the attack. Chris Upton, the head teacher at Tarleton Community Primary School, where she was a pupil, told The Guardian:
"Saffie was 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."
Manchester Evening News first named John Atkinson, 26, as among those who have died. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed this.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd and British Prime Minister Theresa May with Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
May arrived at the Greater Manchester Police headquarters with Home Secretary Amber Rudd shortly before 2 p.m. local time.
The Prime Minister arrived at the Manchester's children hospital shortly after 3.30 p.m. local time to visit young victims of the attack.
Andrew Parker, the director general of MI5, condemned the attack as "disgusting" and said the security service remained "relentlessly focused, in numerous current operations, on doing all we can to combat the scourge of terrorism and keep the country safe."
Mayor Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester told journalists just before 11 a.m. local time that an "extremist" was responsible for the attack. Earlier Burnham tweeted: "My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones, my admiration to our brave emergency services. A terrible night for our great city."
Queen sends 'deepest sympathy'
Multiple public figures and politicians have reacted to the attacks. The Queen released a statement praising the strength of the people of Manchester:
Prince Charles has also released a statement, saying:
"My wife and I were so profoundly shocked to learn of the truly dreadful event which took place in Manchester last night.
"That such a large number of people, including so many young concert-goers, lost their lives or have suffered so much in this appalling atrocity is deeply distressing and fills us with intense sadness.
"Words cannot adequately express what so many families must be feeling at this incredibly difficult time and our most heartfelt sympathy is with all those who have so tragically lost loved ones or who have been affected in some way."
The Archbishop of Canterbury tweeted:
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was one of the first to comment on events, saying his "thoughts are with all those affected." Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron added: "Deepest condolences to the victims and families in Manchester."
Scottish Parliament held a minute's silence on Tuesday to commemorate those who lost their lives:
Trump: 'Evil loser'
Trump said in a statement from Bethlehem, "I would like to begin by offering my prayers to the people of Manchester," and he called the attacker an "evil loser." He also said "wicked ideology" had to be "completely obliterated."
The White House released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying Trump had held a phone call with May from Jerusalem. Here's the statement in full:
"President Donald J. Trump spoke this morning from Jerusalem with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom about the apparent terrorist act in Manchester, England.
"The two leaders agreed that this attack — which targeted teenage children and their friends at a joyous event — was particularly wanton and depraved.
"The president reassured the prime minister that Americans stand with the people of the United Kingdom and that our resolve will never waiver in the face of terrorism. He offered American aid in the United Kingdom's investigation and vowed to continue the mutual fight against terrorism.
"Both leaders commended the courage, speed, and professionalism of those who responded to the wounded, secured the innocent, and tended to the survivors and their families.
"The president said he looks forward to seeing Prime Minister May in person this week and discussing America's unbreakable commitment to the United Kingdom and the ways both countries can work with allies and partners around the world to defeat terrorism."
Trump and May will meet at a G-7 meeting in Italy later this week.
'The most horrific incident we have had to face in Greater Manchester'
Here is the full statement from Hopkins, the chief constable, providing all the details for people to get in touch (emphasis ours):
"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. 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. They are being treated at eight hospitals across Greater Manchester.
"This is a fast-moving investigation and we have significant resources deployed to both the investigation and the visible patrols that people will see across Greater Manchester as they wake up to news of the events last night. This will include armed officers as people would expect. More than 400 officers have been involved in the operation during the night.
"To remind you, we were called at 10.33 p.m. to reports of an explosion at the Manchester Arena at the conclusion of an Ariana Grande concert. More than 250 calls came in and emergency services were very quickly on scene. Emergency numbers have been established for anyone who is concerned for loved ones who may not have returned home: 0161 856 9400 or 0161 856 9900.
"We have been treating this as a terrorist incident and we believe that while the attack last night was conducted by one man; the priority is to establish whether he 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.
"We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names. There is a complex and wide-ranging investigation under way.
"Our priority is to work with the national counterterrorist policing network and UK intelligence services to establish more details about the individual who carried out this attack."
Police officers and fans close to the Manchester Arena on Monday night. (Dave Thompson/Getty Images)
Numerous false stories went viral and were reported by some of Britain's biggest newspapers in the moments following Monday night's attack.
Grande's manager, Scooter Braun, followed up with a statement, saying in part:
"We mourn the lives of children and loved ones taken by this cowardly act. We are thankful for the selfless service tonight of Manchester's first responders who rushed towards danger to help save lives."
The police detonated a suspicious item in a controlled explosion shortly after the attack but later determined the item to be only "abandoned clothing."
Eyewitnesses initially suggested that the bomb used in the attack could have contained nails and other metal items.
The bomb's explosion caused concertgoers to scramble out of the concert building, and videos posted on social media showed police cars and ambulances rushing to the scene. The British transport police said the explosion occurred in the "foyer area," or lobby, of the Manchester Arena, which has a capacity of 21,000.
Two women near the Manchester Arena. (REUTERS/Andrew Yates)
"We had floor seats and were just heading to exit. There was a massive bang from towards the back of the arena from the corridor area.
"Everyone went silent, and then huge crowds of people came running from the back and everyone was screaming and crying. We just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, so we just headed straight for the exit. When we got up to the corridor there was smoke and we could smell burning. We just ran outside and got as far away as we could."
Speaking with Manchester Evening News, concertgoer Sibion Joyce said: "The concert had ended and she had played her last encore. She went off and the lights came on. Everyone got up to leave. As we did we just heard a loud bang. People were running and people were really scared."
Emergency services arriving close to the Manchester Arena. (Dave Thompson/Getty Images)
Police officers next to a police cordon outside the Manchester Arena. (REUTERS/Andrew Yates)
Concertgoers were offered accommodation by locals, with people using the #roomformanchester on Twitter to help those in the city stranded without a place to stay. A hunt for missing people is underway.
Burnham, the mayor, delivered a speech on the situation Tuesday morning. Here are some key quotes from the speech:
"I want to thank the hundreds of police, fire and ambulance staff who worked through the night …
"I want to thank the people of Manchester: even in the minutes after the attack they opened their doors to strangers and drove them away from the attack. It will be that spirit of Manchester that will prevail and hold us together.
"I remember how London felt on that day, I remember it vividly … Manchester will pull together … that's what we are, that's what we do. They won't win. This city has dealt with difficult things in the past and we will do so now."
Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell added:
Mayor Sadiq Khan of London also made a statement on Twitter: "London stands with Manchester — our thoughts are with all those killed and injured tonight and our brave emergency services:"
Here is his full statement he released shortly after:
Video captures the moment of the explosion:
Another showed how the blast caused pandemonium inside the Manchester Arena and people ran for safety:
