LONDON: Just one paramedic attended the scene of the Manchester Arena bombing during the first 40 minutes after the blast, and at least two victims had to wait over an hour for medical attention, an inquiry has heard.
The inquiry into the 2017 bombing entered its second day on Tuesday, with the inquiry’s counsel, Paul Greaney, telling the court that it would have to consider whether more lives could have been saved.
Greaney was critical of the emergency services’ response and coordination in the wake of the attack.
He said only three ambulances were available on the night of the attack, and a police officer had to plead for ambulances 24 minutes after the bomb exploded as crowds left the Ariana Grande concert.
At 10:33 p.m., two minutes after Salman Abedi’s bomb detonated, one police officer sent a radio message saying “it’s definitely a bomb,” and requested backup and ambulances.
Twenty minutes later, another officer from Manchester police’s firearms division reported that the bomber was dead, and urged emergency services to send more ambulances. “We just need more ambos and paramedics. Any one they can get hold of, please,” he said.
Two minutes after that call, another police officer phoned the control room. “You’re going to hate me, where’s our ambulances please?” he said.
At least two victims received medical attention more than an hour after the blast. The inquiry was told that their lives may have been saved had they received medical attention earlier.
One victim, an 18-year-old woman, was removed from the blast zone at 11:26 p.m. — nearly an hour after the explosion — and was put into an ambulance at 11:38 p.m. She later died.
Another, a 28-year-old man, was evacuated from the part of the arena where the blast took place, the City Room, at 11:17 p.m.
He was removed on a makeshift stretcher, made from a display board found in the arena, and received medical attention at 11:47 p.m. but later died. Greaney said the “issue of (his) survivability is a significant issue for the inquiry to consider.”
Most patients were removed using makeshift stretchers, with only one medical stretcher in use all evening.
The inquiry was also told that in July 2016, Manchester authorities identified the City Room in the arena as a potential target for terrorist attacks.
Greaney said: “The very fact that a terrorist attack in the City Room was expressly envisaged as a suitable set of facts for a multiple-agency exercise may speak volumes about how obvious a target for terrorists the City Room was.”
The inquiry is expected to continue into spring 2021, and will explore whether there were any failings by security services, the police or arena staff in preventing and responding to the attack.
Manchester bombing victims waited 75 minutes for medical help
https://arab.news/zr3qt
Manchester bombing victims waited 75 minutes for medical help
- At least two victims received medical attention more than an hour after the blast
- The inquiry was told that their lives may have been saved had they received medical attention earlier
Stranded in paradise: Mideast war traps thousands in Bali
- Limited flights from UAE begin as governments seek to extract citizens from Middle East
- At least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday
DENPASAR, LONDON, BERLIN: Passengers stranded on the Indonesian resort island of Bali clamored for flight news on Tuesday as the outbreak of war in the Middle East grounded planes and turned a tropical holiday dream into an ordeal for many.
Hundreds were crowded at Ngurah Rai International Airport, many dressed in shorts, flip-flops and summer dresses, their expressions dour.
Many sat on the floor, exhausted, and one man repeatedly hit a wall in frustration. “I just kind of want to see my family ... right now it’s a bit stressful,” British tourist Adam Woo, transiting through Bali after holidaying on the neighboring island of Lombok, said. The 23-year-old student said he saw the missiles start flying on the news “and I was a bit worried about my flight” — especially after Dubai airport was hit in Iran’s response to a US-Israeli attack.
“Obviously, everyone around the world at the moment is kind of stuck,” said Woo. “All the travel agencies are swamped with people calling in. So, it’s literally impossible to even get on the phone with someone.”
He said he was looking for an alternative flight via China.
Around Woo, many at the airport were lugging around heavy luggage with slumped shoulders, frustration etched on many a face.
Many queued on foot and on chairs outside information centers hoping for news on replacement flights, receiving occasional briefings with little news.
The airport’s immigration office said in a statement at least 4,400 people had flights to Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi canceled between Saturday and Monday.
With would-be passengers at risk of overstaying their visas, the Bali immigration office introduced a same-day emergency stay permit free of charge for affected foreigners.
Thirty-five have applied so far, according to immigration head Felucia Sengky Ratna.
Airports company Angkasa Pura said 15 flights from Bali to Doha and Abu Dhabi, and vice versa, have been canceled between Saturday and Monday.
National carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded all flights to Doha until further notice.
Meanwhile, stranded travelers began departing the UAE aboard a small number of evacuation flights on Monday, even as most commercial air traffic across the Middle East remained suspended.
The limited flights out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi took place as the US State Department urged its own citizens in 13 countries, including UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, to “depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks.”
Sweeping airspace closures and flight cancelations across the region left many fewer options for heeding the advice.
The State Department has evacuated non-emergency personnel and families in six nations, adding the UAE to its list on Tuesday.
In Italy, the government has assisted with flights to Milan and Rome in the wake of mounting criticism against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
The minister sparked a political controversy at home after being stuck in Dubai with his family during the initial phase of the attack on Iran.
Crosetto returned to Rome on Sunday on a military aircraft. The left-wing opposition has called for Crosetto’s resignation, saying he should not have traveled to the Middle East during a crisis.
