Ariana Grande concert blast: Every parent's worst fear
MANCHESTER, England — They have names like Chloe, Lucy or Olivia, and they are children out having fun with friends and family. Then they became part of every parent's deepest fear, caught in a horrific incident that left 22 people dead and dozens injured.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a pop concert Monday night as people left a performance by American singer Ariana Grande. The incident at the 21,000-people capacity Manchester Arena — one of the largest concert venues in Europe — is the worst terror-related incident in Britain since 2005, when 52 people were killed in a series of suicide bombings on London's transport network.
Police said children were among the dead in Monday's attack.
Eyewitness accounts describe scenes of chaos and horror. Screaming. Attempts to scramble over barriers. People covered in blood. Thousands running away in confusion. Unaccompanied children, in tears, many unable to make contact with relatives. And panic-stricken parents desperately trying to locate their kids.
In the immediate hours after the explosion, thousands took to social media to try to help find the missing: Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry from South Shields, a coastal town in the north of England. Someone's best friend identified only as "Lucy." A male named "Martyn," described as having brown hair, light eyes and pierced ears.
"Olivia Campbell is still missing. Wearing blue jeans, thigh high black boots, black top, hair in a pony and glasses," wrote Aleshia Anne, a girl who identified herself on Twitter as Campbell's friend.
Olivia is 15. Her mother, Charlotte, told British media that her daughter was not answering her phone. She said Olivia was at the show with a friend. She's called all the hospitals, hotels where some children were taken and the police. She said the friend she was with has been found in the hospital. Olivia has not turned up yet.
USA TODAY could not immediately verify the various missing persons posts on social media, and there did appear to be some hoaxes, but Campbell's account was consistent across all the outlets she spoke with.
"If anyone sees her, lend her a phone. She knows my number," she said, breaking down while calling into a morning TV show. "There's no news. I've just got to wait. I'm waiting at home just in case she shows up here."
Another mother, Deborah Hutchinson posted on Facebook that she was searching for her boyfriend, Philip Tron, and her daughter, Courtney Boyle. The Northern Echo reported that Tron and Courtney had not been heard from since the concert.
Two teens from Barra in the Outer Isles of Scotland also were reported missing by the father of one of the girls. Laura MacIntyre and Eilidh MacLeod went to the concert and haven't been seen since the explosion.
Laura's father Micheal MacIntyre tweeted: "Please ... please retweet. Looking for my daughter and her friend. Laura Macintyre and Eilidh Macleod #manchesterattack"
A Scottish National Party candidate, Angus Macneil, tweeted his concern. "Very worried about 2 missing girls from Island of Barra who were in Manchester last night. Laura MacIntyre & Eilidh MacLeod. Please share"
About 50 unaccompanied teenagers were taken to a nearby hotel by Paula Robinson, who was at a train station next to the arena when she saw dozens of terrified young girls rushing out. She posted her phone number on Facebook and told parents to get in touch with her. "Please come for them," she wrote.
Contributing: Gavin Havery, The (Darlington, England) Northern Echo and David Ross, The (Glasgow, Scotland) Herald.
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