Police have confirmed they are dealing with a "number of fatalities" and "injuries" after they responded to reports of two loud bangs described as 'explosions' at Manchester Arena tonight.
Scores of people fled the arena screaming and covered in blood after hearing 'loud bangs' at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, where hundreds of children of primary age were in attendance.
Armed police and helicopters rushed to the scene, where one witness reported being blown off his feet just after the lights came up at around 10.40pm.
Other witnesses said they saw smoke and heard an explosion coming from the foyer area.
David Richardson, who was at the gig with his daughter Emily, 13 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 40ft 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 witness Andy Holey, whose wife and daughter were at the concert, told BBC News that the explosion was near to a ticket office, and he was blown off his feet when it happened.
He said he saw several bodies around him when he came to.
Oliver Jones, 17, who was at the concert with his 19-year-old sister, said: “I was in the toilet and heard a loud bang just after the concert had finished and people had started to leave.
“The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run.
“I seen people running and screaming towards one direction and then many were turning around to run back the other way.
“Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers.
“[There were] reports of blood and people injured. In so much shock and panic. You see this on the news all the time and never expect it to happen to you. I just had to run and make sure me and my sister were safe.”
Concert-goers shared horrifying photos of their injuries after they managed to escape the chaos - which some initially claimed was caused by a speaker explosion or a balloon popping.
Greater Manchester Police earlier confirmed they are dealing with a "serious incident" and tweeted urging people to "stay away from the area" - and local roads to and from the scene are blocked.
Abby Mullen shared snaps of her bag and her bloodied hair after she returned home.
Moments after the news broke, a man claiming to have information from medical staff, tweeted: "A friend works in A&E - huge balloons filled with gas popped & there was a stampede because everyone thought it was a bomb.
"More people got injured stampeding out of the arena than they did during the incident."
ITV News reporter Michael Worrell - who lives near the Arena and rushed to the scene after hearing the explosion - said he has spoken to people leaving the scene who claimed debris had fallen on them.
"They heard two loud bangs they thought were coming from the station and I have seen people leaving the building with blood on their shirt," he said.
The noises were heard at the end of the show - with some reports placing them as having come from near the Victoria Station close to the Arena.
Eyewitness Sasina Akhtar said: "She 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.”
The full police statement at 11.44pm tonight: "Emergency services are currently responding to reports of an explosion at Manchester Arena.
"There are a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured.
"Please AVOID the are as first responders work tirelessly at the scene."
They later added: "Details of a casualty bureau for incident at Manchester Arena will be shared as soon as available. Please stay away from the area."