An explosion described by police as a likely terrorist attack ripped through a crowd of teenagers and other concertgoers late Monday after a performance by an American pop singer in the English city of Manchester, leaving at least 19 people dead and about 50 others injured.
Initial evidence at the scene suggested the attack may have been a suicide bombing, according to two U.S. security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. British authorities, who were meeting in emergency sessions in Manchester and London, did not immediately confirm those reports.
The bombing appeared intended to inflict the maximum possible damage on young concertgoers - many of them in their early teens - who were making their way out of the Manchester Arena. Police said the blast occurred about 10:30 p.m., minutes after pop star Ariana Grande had finished her set.
"This is currently being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise," the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement in the early hours of Tuesday saying that authorities were "working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack."
If confirmed as a terrorist attack, it would be the worst strike on British soil since 2005, when Islamist extremists bombed the London subway and a bus, killing 54 people.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said late Monday that there was "no information to indicate a specific credible threat involving music venues in the United States," but added that Americans may see "increased security in and around public places and events as officials take additional precautions."
Britain has been on high alert for a major attack for several years, with authorities saying that a mass-casualty attack was likely.
Manchester police said they were working closely with national authorities to determine the cause of the explosion. Among the priorities for investigators will be to figure out whether it was part of a broader plot.
Cellphone video showed chaotic scenes of people screaming and running in the aftermath of the blast. The arena was packed with attendees and pink balloons that had fallen from the ceiling during the final song. Initially, concertgoers said they thought popping balloons had set off a panic.
But witnesses later reported seeing the prone bodies of those who had been wounded and killed, as well as others who were streaked with blood and were staggering away from the scene. Some were injured in the rush to get out, with people being trampled as thousands rushed to escape.
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