Culture

Hundreds Of People Are Offering Refuge And Support To Survivors Of The Manchester Blast

#RoomForManchester has been trending on social media for hours.

by Tom Clift  23 May 2017
Manchester

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By now you’ve almost certainly heard the heartbreaking news out of Manchester, where an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert has killed at least 19 people and seriously injured dozens more.

The authorities are currently treating it as a terrorist attack, although it’s important to note that we probably won’t have a clear picture of what happened — and who is responsible — for a number of days. Even then, trying to actually make sense of a tragedy like this is basically impossible.

While the event is tragic no matter how you look at it, it is heartening to see that hundreds of everyday Mancunians have now opened up their homes to stranded concert-goers in need of refuge. Within minutes of the blast, Twitter was flooded with offers of assistance, many of which were shared using the hashtag #RoomForManchester.

A number of local businesses, including The Manchester West Holiday Inn, have also swung open their doors. Upwards of 60 young people have taken shelter in the Holiday Inn foyer while waiting to be reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, Manchester taxi drivers have reportedly been giving people free rides out of the city centre.

Ariana Grande has since shared her reaction, writing on Twitter “I don’t have words”.

Dozens of other musicians have also offered their condolences to the people affected.

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For more updates on the situation as it unfolds, The Guardian is running a liveblog.

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Feature image via Wikimedia.