First victim of Manchester terror attack named as Georgina Callander

Name: Watch NZH Focus: Manchester terror attack, all you need to know
Uploaded: 2017-05-23T14:58:33+12:00
Duration: 126 s
Description: The attack at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena saw 22 killed and more than 800 injured. Suicide bomber, Salman Ramadan Abedi was killed instantly.

Daily Mail

23 May, 2017 08:54 AM2 mins to read

The attack at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena saw 22 killed and more than 800 injured. Suicide bomber, Salman Ramadan Abedi was killed instantly.

The first victim of the Manchester terror attack has been named locally as 18-year-old Georgina Callander.

She was one of the 22 people killed when an attacker set off an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena last night, the Daily Mail reports.

Georgina had tweeted the US pop singer on Sunday, writing: 'SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW.'

A close friend told the Evening Standard the teenager died in hospital with her mother at her bedside in hospital.

Friends paid tribute to Georgina on social media, with one writing: "Rest in peace Gina. I love you so incredibly much, you deserved the world & more. I'm so lucky to have met you and known you."

Another tweeted: "A beautiful girl with the kindest heart & soul, I'll miss you forever, may you rest in a better place than here. I love you."

James Perry wrote: "RIP Georgina Callander, 18 years old, her life absolutely robbed, heart goes out to her and all the other families #prayersforManchester".

At least 22 people - including children - died and 59 more were injured after a suicide bomber targeted youngsters in Britain's worst terror attack since 7/7.

Georgina Callander. Georgina was one of the victims of today's bomb blast in Manchester. Photo / Instagram

Witnesses told of nuts and bolts tearing into young gig-goers when the blast was detonated in the foyer area between the arena and the next-door Victoria station after the Ariana Grande performance ended.

The bomb went off just after the end of the concert at a time parents were leaving with their children and other mothers and fathers were arriving to pick up groups of youngsters.

Police this morning confirmed that the suicide bomber died inside the arena after an improvised explosive device was detonated.

As the explosion tore through the lobby, terrified youngsters stampeded for the sold-out 21,000-seater stadium's exits in horrifying scenes caught on mobile phone cameras. Witnesses described the carnage as being 'like a war zone'.