Confusion after Manchester terror attack kept firefighters away for 2 hours, according to new report
[Photo: Euan Cherry/WENN.com]
According to new reports, firefighters were not able to go to the scene of the Manchester Arena terror attack for more than two hours because of “confusion about whether an attacker was still on the loose.”
Read more: BBC to release documentary on survivors of Manchester Arena terror attack
As The Associated Press reports, Senior British civil servant Bob Kerslake said a “valuable resource was not available to assist at the scene” because the fire service was “out of the loop.”
The news source reports that the first police officers arrived within minutes of the explosion, and paramedics and additional police backup arrived soon after. But “firefighters were kept away because the senior officer on duty mistakenly believed there was an 'active shooter.'”
The Associated Press explains that the inquiry panel would not be able to determine whether or not a quicker deployment of firefighters could have helped save more lives, but the panel did say that the police inspector's decision to override protocol and let police and medics stay in the area to treat the wounded “undoubtedly saved” many lives, even though it was unclear as to whether or not more attacks would follow.
According to reports that surfaced late last year, the terror attack at Manchester Arena could have potentially been prevented.
The new report found that the MI5 security agency had received intelligence “not appreciated at the time” on Salman Abedi—which means that the attack could have potentially been prevented if MI5 had taken the appropriate action.
According to The Guardian, just weeks before the Manchester attack, Abedi was identified as “one of a small number of individuals, out of a total of more than 20,000 closed SOIs [subjects of interest], who merited further examination,” but the meeting to further discuss his investigation was not scheduled until May 31, after the attack took place.
“It is conceivable that the Manchester attacks in particular might have been averted had the cards fallen differently,” MI5 said on the attack, Home Secretary Amber Rudd shared.
Following the attack, the world responded with an outpouring of love and support for the victims and their families. Bands including the 1975, Metallica, Twenty One Pilots and more paid tribute to those lives lost in the act of senseless violence.
Grande herself hosted the “One Love Manchester” event that raised over “$2.6 million in donations over a three-hour period for a special fund” that specifically assists victims of the attack.
