'Everyone was in shock': Manchester concertgoer describes chaotic moments after the blast
CBC Radio | Posted: May 23, 2017 9:21 PM | Last Updated: May 23, 2017
It should have been a night of fun bubble-gum pop music.
Instead, a bomb went off at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, U.K., on Monday night, killing 22 people and injuring 59. Among the dead was an eight-year-old girl.
Anita Parmar, 36, was among the approximately 22,000 fans at the concert Monday night, only to be caught up in the horror of the bombing. She spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about the chaotic moment after the explosion.
- AS IT HAPPENS: Manchester cabbies give free rides all night after deadly blast
- AS IT HAPPENS: Violent images from Manchester play into terrorists' hands: prof
Carol Off: Anita, I know you've had a very stressful 24 hours. How are you doing now?
Anita Parmar: I'm OK. It's very upsetting hearing about some of the people who were killed in the blast. But most of us got out safely, so I'm grateful for that.
CO: So many children. What was the audience like before this happened?
AP: We just had a fantastic concert. Everyone was cheering and still singing along. The last song had finished. We picked up our bags and people started putting their jackets on. We just suddenly heard this bang and there was a bit of hesitation. Then from the side, we heard the noise. Lots of people started screaming and running away from that exit, so it completely changed the mood.
CO: Did you know what happened?
AP: We didn't have a clue. People were saying "Was that a bomb?", "No, no it was just a balloon bursting near a microphone. It was just equipment." People were theorizing, but everyone was in shock.
People were trying to keep each other calm and be rational. But over at the other side where the explosion took place, we could see people were screaming and running away. It was frightening and everyone was trying to get out. But people were helping one another. It wasn't until we got out of the building that we realized there'd been a bomb.
We went down the fire escape. It wasn't until we got downstairs that we saw loads of smoke. When we stepped outside, the fire alarm went off. There were loads of police, people lying on the floor, people crying — they'd lost a parent or lost a child. We hadn't realized any of this. The staff just managed to get us all, well most of us, outside safely. They'd done everything possible, I feel, to keep people calm. People were actively trying to support one another.
CO: People outside, when you saw them, were there a lot of young people?
AP: There were loads of young girls — eight, nine, 10 years old — with their moms crying, some without their moms. There was security staff walking up and down the street trying to find their parents. Everyone fled so fast. When we heard the bomb everyone just headed toward the exit so I imagine a lot of people lost each other.
CO: How long did you stay there until you were able to get home?
AP: We were lucky. We were only waiting 2 1/2 hours. We were able to get a taxi. But even the driver and people around, nobody knew what was going on. When we said there'd been a bomb, they were in disbelief. They just didn't believe us, which is understandable.
These things just don't happen. The last bomb we had was in 1996 in Manchester. I think everyone was just doubting that something like this could be possible. Even people like me that actually saw what happened. It's not until today that things are really sinking in, when you see the news, and see young girls that ended up being hit by the blast.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For more on this story, listen to our full interview with Anita Parmar.