Au moins 19 personnes ont été tuées et environ 50 blessées lundi soir à Manchester, dans l'ouest de l'Angleterre, à la suite d'une explosion dans une salle de concert considérée comme une action «terroriste», a annoncé la police locale.
La police a été alertée à la suite d'informations faisant état d'une ou plusieurs explosions d'origine indéterminée dans la salle de concert Manchester Arena où se produisait la chanteuse américaine Ariana Grande.
«Les services de secours réagissent actuellement à des informations selon lesquelles il y aurait eu une explosion», a déclaré la police dans un communiqué sur son compte Twitter, en appelant la population à éviter la zone.
Peu après, la police a annoncé un bilan de 19 morts et environ 50 blessés. L'événement «est traité comme un incident terroriste», a-t-elle déclaré.
Un peu plus tard, la police a annoncé qu'elle allait procéder à une explosion contrôlée dans un endroit situé à quelques dizaines de mètres de la salle de concert.
Des images diffusées sur les réseaux sociaux montrent des scènes de panique survenues plus tôt dans la salle.
Plusieurs témoins cités par les médias britanniques ont affirmé avoir entendu une forte explosion lundi peu avant 22h00 GMT.
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![Medics deploy at the scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England on May 23, 2017.
British police said early May 23 there were]( "Reported explosion at Manchester Arena,")
AFPMedics deploy at the scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert.
British police said early May 23 there were]( "Reported explosion at Manchester Arena,")
AFPPolice deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert.
British police said early May 23 there were]( "Reported explosion at Manchester Arena,")
AFPPolice deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert.
British police said early May 23 there were]( "Reported explosion at Manchester Arena,")
AFPPolice deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS -
![Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert.
British police said early May 23 there were]()
AFPPolice deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017 at a concert. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Concert goers wait to be picked up at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS]()
AFPConcert goers wait to be picked up at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Concert goers wait to be picked up at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS]()
AFPConcert goers wait to be picked up at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS -
![Emergency response vehicles are parked at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS]()
AFPEmergency response vehicles are parked at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Emergency response vehicles arrive at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS]()
AFPEmergency response vehicles arrive at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS -
![Emergency response vehicles arrive at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS]()
AFPEmergency response vehicles arrive at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS -
![Emergency response vehicles are parked at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS]()
AFPEmergency response vehicles are parked at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, northwest England on May 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS
Le trafic ferroviaire vers la gare de Manchester Victoria, proche de la salle de concert, a été stoppé, a indiqué l'opérateur Northern Railway.
La police a isolé la zone et de nombreuses voitures de police et ambulances étaient garées autour de la salle, a constaté un photographe de l'AFP.
Selon un communiqué de la police des transports de Manchester, une explosion s'est produite dans le foyer du stade qui abrite la salle de concert.
«Nous étions en train de quitter la salle après le concert d'Ariana Grande vers 22h30 (21h30 GMT) lorsqu'on a entendu un bang, comme une explosion, qui a paniqué tout le monde, et tout le monde essayait de fuir la salle», a raconté Majid Khan, 22 ans, à l'agence britannique Press Association.
«Tous les gens qui étaient de l'autre côté de la salle de concert où le bang a été entendu sont soudain venus vers nous en courant et ils essayaient de sortir, donc ça bloquait, et tout le monde fuyait vers la sortie qu'il pouvait trouver le plus rapidement possible», a-t-il ajouté. «C'était la panique».
Isabel Hodgkin, qui assistait elle aussi au concert, a déclaré à la chaîne de télévision Sky News: «Tout le monde paniquait, ça poussait dans les escaliers».
«Le couloir était plein de monde, il y avait une odeur de brûlé, il y avait beaucoup de fumée pendant qu'on sortait», a-t-elle dit.
Robert Tempkin, 22 ans, a déclaré à la BBC: «Tout le monde criait et courait, il y avait des manteaux et des téléphones sur le sol, les gens ont tout abandonné» dans le mouvement de panique.
«Des gens hurlaient qu'ils avaient vu du sang, mais d'autres disaient que c'étaient des ballons qui avaient explosé ou une enceinte qui avait claqué», a-t-il ajouté.
