<P> Twenty - three people were killed, including the attacker, and 139 were wounded, more than half of them children . Several hundred more suffered psychological trauma . The bomber was Salman Ramadan Abedi, a 22 - year - old local man of Libyan ancestry . After initial suspicions of a terrorist network, police later said they believed Abedi had largely acted alone but that others had been aware of his plans . </P> <P> The incident was the deadliest terrorist attack and the first suicide bombing in Britain since the July 2005 London bombings . </P> <P> On 22 May 2017 at 22: 31 BST (UTC + 01: 00), a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device, packed with nuts and bolts to act as shrapnel, in the foyer area of the Manchester Arena . The attack took place after an Ariana Grande concert that was part of her 2017 Dangerous Woman Tour . 14,200 people attended the concert . Many exiting concert - goers and waiting parents were in the foyer at the time of the explosion . According to evidence presented at the coroner's inquest, the detonation of the bomb killed people who were up to 20 metres (66 ft) away . </P> <P> Greater Manchester Police declared the incident a terrorist attack and suicide bombing . It was the deadliest attack in the United Kingdom since the 7 July 2005 London bombings . </P>

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