Offers of help flood in online after Ariana Grande concert explosion
Look for the helpers.
Within hours, if not minutes, of the events at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that saw several people dead and dozens more injured, offers of help were flooding in online.
On Twitter, one of the first hashtags to emerge from the incident was #roomformanchester, in which local people advertised rooms in their homes for anyone affected by the incident and the ensuing travel chaos.
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The Arena has a capacity of 21,000 and nearby Manchester Victoria station was closed in the aftermath of the event, leaving many stranded.
Others offered a lift, a place to charge phones, or simply a cup of tea.
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Local chains Holiday Inn and Premier Inn were also reportedly taking in any children who were separated from their parents following the incident.
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On WhatsApp, meanwhile, taxi drivers were seemingly rallying together to head out and help people get home, free of charge.
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"Lots of the drivers giving free rides - not a time to think of money," one driver, Sean Kenny, told Mashable over Twitter. "Thoughts are with victims."
Another driver, who goes by mcr_cabbie on the platform, said he'd "given out lots of rides as no buses seem to be running right now."
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A third driver posted a video offering free rides to anyone who DM'ed him on Facebook.
"Mancunians need to stand up and help each other out," he said in the clip. "Shocking as it is, this is what makes Manchester great. We stand up. We stand together. And we help each other."
Facebook's Safety Check feature also went live in the early hours local time.
Sasha Lekach contributed reporting.
Topics Music
Tim Chester was Senior Editor, Real Time News in Los Angeles. Before that he was Deputy Editor of Mashable UK in London. Prior to joining Mashable, Tim was a Senior Web Editor at Penguin Random House, helping to relaunch the Rough Guides website and other travel brands. He was also a writer for Buzzfeed, GQ and The Sunday Times, covering everything from culture to tech and current affairs. Before that, he was Deputy Editor at NME.COM, overseeing content and development on the London-based music and entertainment site. Tim loves music and travel and has combined these two passions at festivals from Iceland to Malawi and beyond.
