Hours on from an explosion at Manchester Arena that has left 19 dead and over 50 people injured, thousands of families across the city are still trying to make sense of the terror that gripped the city after an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night.
“They had nowhere to go… it was absolutely horrendous.”
Following the 10.35pm explosion, a number of local businesses in the area have been quick to help those in need, specifically children who were separated from their parents or attended the concert without guardians.
The Steven Charles Snooker Centre, which is less than a block away from the arena, took in approximately 100 children before helping them reunite with their parents and guardians.
Amy-Jane Entwhistle, who works at the snooker centre told Channel 9 News the children “had nowhere to go, they were on the streets crying, some of them bleeding, panicking, it was absolutely horrendous.”
She continued, “We just didn’t want anyone on the streets basically.”
While helping the children, Entwistle said she saw a man at the scene with his leg partially blown off and a woman covered in black soot.
A nearby Holiday Inn also took in around 50 children.
Employee Paula Robinson posted to Facebook, "we have taken as many kids as we can to holiday Inn we will keep them safe and stay with them."
"Please help them get home safe."
While Manchester police have released a statement confirming 19 dead and over 50 injured, many families are still searching for their loved ones.
Almost two hours after the explosion an image showing 25 people believed to be missing in the blast has also been shared to Twitter.
"#Manchester reported people missing. Please help them get home safe to their families," one tweet sharing the image read.
Thankfully, a number of people within the image have been identified and confirmed as safe, but others are still unaccounted for.
"Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out of the area."
Following the bombing, which went off just minutes after 23-year-old Grande had concluded her concert and left the arena - concert goers have begun speaking about the confusion and panic still gripping the city.
“It was a huge explosion - you could feel it in your chest," attendee Catherine Macfarlane told Reuters. "It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming and just trying to get out of the area."
David Richardson, who was attending the concert with his teenage daughter Emily, 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.”
It is understood that approximately 20,000 people were in attendance at the concert, many of whom were teenagers attending the show without parents.
"You see this on the news all the time and never expect it to happen to you."
17-year-old Oliver Jones was attending the gig with his 19-year-old sister and was in the bathroom when the explosion went off.
“I was in the toilet and heard a loud bang just after the concert had finished and people had started to leave," he said. “The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run. I seen [sic] people running and screaming towards one direction and then many were turning around to run back the other way.”
Jones said, “Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers," and added he was, "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.”
Watch: Andy Holy speaks to BBC about the explosion in Manchester. Post continues...
Andy Holy told the BBC he had been waiting for his wife and daughter outside the arena when the explosion went off, the blast of which threw him across a set of doors.
"When I got up and looked around there was about 30 people scattered everywhere, some of them looked dead."
Holy continued, "My first thing was to run in the stadium and try to find me [sic] wife and daughter. When I couldn't find them I went back out and with the police and the fire and the ambulance, whoever was there, I looked at some of the bodies trying to find my family, but luckily they weren't there."
"This is currently being treated as a terror incident."
Less than an hour after releasing its first statement via Twitter, Manchester Police has released a second statement confirming the bombing is being "treated as a terror incident until police know otherwise."
Police have asked people within the city to avoid the area until further notice and have said that the bombing is currently being treated as a terrorist incident.
If you'd like to support the victims of the attack and their families, you can donate to the Manchester attack victims fund here.