Wigan schoolgirl tells of Manchester bombing horror

A Wigan schoolgirl caught up in the Manchester Arena bomb outrage has told of her distress as she and a friend fled the carnage.
Picture taken with permission from the twitter feed of @Zach_bruce of people running through Manchester Victoria  station after an explosion at Manchester ArenaPicture taken with permission from the twitter feed of @Zach_bruce of people running through Manchester Victoria  station after an explosion at Manchester Arena
Picture taken with permission from the twitter feed of @Zach_bruce of people running through Manchester Victoria station after an explosion at Manchester Arena

Lucie O’Mara spoke just hours after a suicide bomber blew himself up in the city venue’s foyer at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

Lucie and fellow Up Holland High School pupil Millie Howarth were preparing to leave when a huge blast rocked the building at around 10.30pm on Monday.

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She spoke of the initial confusion, then panic, a stampede for the exits and the scenes of horror and confusion outside, with bloodied casualties treated all around her and distraught members of the public frantically searching for their loved ones.

Armed police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central ManchesterArmed police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester
Armed police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester

The 16-year-olds, thankfully, escaped unscathed but there were 20 minutes after the blast when Lucie’s mum Gill, who had come to collect them, feared the worst before they were reunited.

Lucie said: “I still can’t get my head round it. The image that sticks in my head is of a woman running up to everyone, complete strangers, outside the arena, really distressed, asking if anyone had seen her daughter.

“It all happened so quickly. The show had finished and the lights came up and people were standing up to leave when there was this huge ‘boom.’

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“We assumed it was a bomb from the start and the stage managers shouted for everyone to run. Everyone was screaming and running as fast as they could. Because we were on a lower tier, we had to go up stairs before we could go down for the exits.

Dawn over Manchester the morning after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana GrandeDawn over Manchester the morning after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande
Dawn over Manchester the morning after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande

“Outside there were a lot of people injured and ambulances were everywhere. There were people on the floor with bandages and blood and a lot of screaming from people who had lost their children.

“There was woman near the park with her face full of blood.

“At first what had happened didn’t really sink in but when I got out I had a panic attack and cried a lot.”