Jan 2021. Manchester Arena Inquiry

Firefighters did not arrive at Manchester Arena until two hours after the suicide bombing, only one paramedic entered the blast scene in the first 40 minutes, and Greater Manchester police (GMP) did not declare a major incident until the following day, the inquiry into the terror attack has heard. The Manchester Arena inquiry, which resumed on Monday, moved to examine the response of the emergency services to the tragedy. The inquiry heard evidence about the deaths of two of the victims, John Atkinson, 28, and Saffie-Rose Roussos – at age eight, the youngest to die in the attack. “Most of those who died suffered injuries in the bombing that were, on the expert evidence, unsurvivable even with current advanced medical treatment,” said the counsel to the inquiry, Paul Greaney QC. But where Atkinson and Saffie-Rose were concerned, Greaney said: “A different response may have led to a different outcome.”