An eyewitness to the Manchester explosion describes a "flash", a smell and bolts on the floor. Twitter / @AdamMcCleanITV
Thousands of people crowded into a music hall to enjoy a concert by American superstar Ariana Grande. Their night ended in blood, terror, tears and death. Survivors of what is now believed to be a terror attack at the Manchester Arena are telling their stories.
Abby Mullen from Airdire, North Lanakshire who was at the event said: "As we were leaving a bomb or explosion went off centimetres in front of me. People's skin and faeces where everywhere including in my hair and on my bag.
"I'm still finding bits of God knows what in my hair. You never ever expect these things to happen to you but this proves it can happen to anybody. That sound, the blood and those who were running around clueless with body parts and bits of skin missing will not be leaving my mind any time soon or the minds of those involved."
Gary Walker, from Leeds, was with his wife in the foyer waiting to pick up his two daughters from the concert.
He said: "I was waiting for the kids to come out. We heard the last song, and quite a few people were flooding out and then suddenly there was a massive flash and then a bang, smoke.
Witnesses tell of seeing bloodied, injured people in and outside the arena. Photo / Joel Goodman
"I felt a bit of pain in my foot and my leg. My wife said, 'I need to lie down'. I lay her down, she'd got a stomach wound and possibly a broken leg.
"I was about 3m from the actual explosion. I am surprised I got away so lightly." Walker said the explosion was by the door in the foyer, next to a merchandise stall, and that glass and metal nuts were left on the floor.
He told the Star: "The nuts must have been packed in the device that's exploded - there's nowhere else they could've come from."
His daughter Abigail, who was still in the auditorium with sister Sophie at the time of the explosion, said: "I had to make sure I had my sister. I grabbed hold of her and pulled hard.
"Everyone was running and crying. We were just trying to figure where everyone was. It was absolutely terrifying."
Abigail and Sophie contacted their parents by mobile phone, a moment Walker described as "fantastic news".
At least 19 people are dead and more than 50 injured after the explosions at the Ariana Grande concert. Photo / Daily Mail
David Richardson was at the gig with his daughter Emily, 13. He said: "The lights came on after the gig and people were starting to leave.
"As I turned to the left there was an explosion. It was about 40 foot [12m] behind us near one of the exits.
"We just thought it was people messing about then it happened again. Another explosion sounded.
"Then we saw the smoke. Everyone just fled. Some people were injured. We saw blood on people when we got outside. People were just running all over the place.
"People have said it was a speaker or balloons but it wasn't. It was explosions."
Another man who took his daughter to the gig said: "Ariana said: 'Bye bye Manchester!' The lights came on then there was two big noises and people started running and shouting.
"We got in a lift to go up to the next floor to the exits. When the doors opened I saw blood on the floor and two injured people.
"Blood all over their faces. A lot of people were in shock."
Survivors hug outside the Manchester Arena after a suspected terror attack. Photo / Thomas Temple
Witness Sasina Akhtar said: "She [Ariana Grande] did her last song, we were in the lower tier and there was an explosion behind us at the back of the arena.
"We saw young girls with blood on them, everyone was screaming and people were running. There was lots of smoke."
Connor Rohan, 23, was with friends at the gig and said he heard bangs followed by "deafening screams".
He said: "It was just panic and people running. No one knew what was going on and there was an awful lot of screaming."
Erin McDougle, 20, from Newcastle said: "There was a loud bang at the end of the concert. The lights were already on so we knew it wasn't part of the show.
"At first we thought it was a bomb. There was a lot of smoke. People started running out.
When we got outside the arena there were dozens of police vans and quite a few ambulances."
A group of young men from Sheffield said they had seen at least five people covered in blood and others being carried out by bouncers.
"Ariana Grande had just gone behind the curtain and the lights came up when there was this massive bang and a big cloud of smoke. I saw five people with blood all down them,' said one.
Erika Ignata, 18, from Cheshire, was at the concert with her 26-year-old sister, Monica. She told MailOnline: "We were on the ground floor when Ariana sang the last song. There was a massive sound which we immediately though was a bomb.
"I just grabbed my sister and we were running for the door, it was absolute chaos. All around me there were little girls."
Ignata described running outside and seeing crowds of parents crying and trying to contact their children on the phone.
She added: "Me and my sister ran and got into our car which was about 50 yards [45m] away from the arena. I saw lots of girls crying and mums calling out.
"Lots of people shaking and calling on the phone trying to get in touch with people."
Calvin Welsford, 18, from Bristol told the BBC: "It almost sounded like a gunshot.
"I looked around and people were just spilling down, heading out of the building.
"I was actually having an asthma attack. It was sheer panic."
Student Courtney Spencer, 17, who was at the concert with a friend, told The Sun: "It happened just in front of us at the top of the stairs. We didn't know what had happened. It could have been a gun or a bang or an explosion.
"We just grabbed each other and got away. One lass was laying in her mother's arms. I'm not sure if she has collapsed in shock or was injured."
