The shock of Monday night’s suicide bomb attack at the Manchester Arena has been felt around the world. As the city dealt with the immediate aftermath of the attack, which killed 22 people and injuring many others, many took to social media to check in on loved ones and offer support. The #RoomForManchester hashtag started trending on social media, with people opening their homes to people in need.
In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, two homeless men found themselves witnessing the blast. Steve Jones and Chris Parker are now being praised as heroes as Mr Parker reportedly held a woman in his arms while she passed away, while Mr Jones told ITV news that he helped children who had been blasted with nails. “It was children with blood all over them, they were crying and screaming,” he said. “We were having to pull nails out of their arms and a couple out of a little girl’s face.”
Reports continue to emerge of locals uniting to help others in the aftermath. Local businessman Jordan Stevenson resides in Liverpool, and learned about the attack via Twitter. The 23 year old told ABC News that he wanted to help “In any way I can.”
He tweeted an offer to give lifts to anyone stranded in the city.
If anybody from Liverpool is in Manchester and needs picking up I’ll do lifts all night. #manchester
— Jordan Stevenson (@JPJStevenson) May 22, 2017
The offer quickly went viral. Stevenson reportedly spent more than five hours from midnight giving lifts out of Manchester. He said he is proud of the way the community has come together, “This city is in on of the tightest-knitted countries on our planet,” he said.
Taxi services were also offering free rides to those stranded.
Meanwhile the Manchester Evening News started a crowd-funding campaign which had raised nearly (AUD) $1 million this morning, and continues to rise. People have also been rushing out to donate blood.
British authorities have raised their security alert levels, believing that a new terror attack may be “imminent.” The Manchester attack comes less than three months after the Westminster attack, where a terrorist drove his car into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster Bridge, killing 6 people.
