UPDATED: Explosion kills 22, injures 59 at Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena

An explosion has rocked Manchester Arena in England

The explosion went off during an Ariana Grande concert

Scores have been injured while 22 persons have been killed

There are fears that death tolls might rise

Emerging reports suggest that 22 people are dead and about 59 others have been injured following reports of an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert.

The concert was held at Manchester Arena in England.

Greater Manchester police said in a statement that they were called to the arena at just before 10:35 pm local time on Monday, May 22.

ABC reports that authorities are telling people to avoid the area.


Authorities fear that death toll might rise, following an explosion at the Manchester Arena

Reports gathered that at the moment, the incident is being treated as a "terrorist incident until police know otherwise," police said.

US law enforcement officials have been informed that the leading theory is that the Manchester Arena incident was the work of a suicide bomber.

Though, they caution that this is preliminary information, according to a senior law enforcement official who briefed on the investigation.


Investigations are still ongoing into the explosion at the Manchester Arena
The wounded are being treated at six different hospitals, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said in a press conference. "We're doing all that we can ... as we gather information about what happened," he said, asking people to remain vigilant.


Eyewitness Karen Ford told the BBC, "The lights had come up everyone was just getting out and walking towards the stairs, when all of a sudden this huge sound, which sounded like an explosion went off.

"Everyone just stopped and turned around, and then somebody shouted 'it’s a bomb' and everyone just started running. Everybody was trying to push people up the stairs.

"There was a lot of children there without parents. There was no one to calm them down so everyone was just screaming, crying and pushing."


Chief Superintendent Ian Hopkins today said they believe the man acted alone and they are trying to establish whether he was part of a network.

He added that children are 'among the deceased' and said this morning: '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.

'As you will appreciate 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 the news of the events last night.

'This will include armed officers as people would expect and more than 400 officers have been deployed on this operation throughout the night.'