Stephanie Hill and her daughter Kennedy were at the concert. She said the police and emergency services entered the massive Manchester Arena soon after the blast, but she still did not feel safe.
"The police were all there, there were armed police with... Their guns, there were ambulances.
"They were there so quickly it was unbelievable. But we didn't know, even then we didn't know what was going on.
"So we ran, we ran and we hid under a bridge for about forty minutes."
Kennedy said at first the arena was "scarily still for five or six seconds... Then everybody just ran."
Rebecca Horrocks, 17, was at the concert with a friend. They were heading to the exit when the explosion went off.
"The lights had just come up. We were about to leave through the exit and the explosion shook the floor and there was a bit of smoke coming through the exit.
"Everything was silent for a moment then people started screaming and running in the opposite direction and running out of the exit.
Nicky Betteridge was also there with her daughter, Summer.
"All of a sudden there was a huge bang and then within seconds people behind me started screaming and running, running past us," she said.
"So I grabbed Summer and said 'run' and we started running with everybody else, there were hundreds of people running.
"We got to the stairs and everyone was pushing... Trying to get down as quickly as we could.
"And then we ran outside onto the road and there were lots of people there, crying and shouting."
"I said to my wife 'that was too loud'. We saw kids coming down the steps and I was able to drive to the bottom of the main steps [and] my wife jumped out of the car to find our daughter Charlotte and her friend Gemma.
Gary Walker, from Leeds, and his wife were just metres from the explosion, waiting for their daughters to come out.
"We heard the last song go and then suddenly there was a massive flash and then a bang and smoke. I felt a pain in my foot and my leg.
"She's got a stomach wound and possible a broken leg.
"I've got a bit of a hole in my foot where I've got a bit of shrapnel. I was surprised I got away so lightly."
His daughter Abigail, who was still in the auditorium with sister Sophie at the time of the explosion, said: "I had to make sure I had my sister. I grabbed hold of her and pulled hard. Everyone was running and crying.
"We were just trying to figure where everyone was. It was absolutely terrifying."
"Ariana Grande had just finished her last song and there was a huge bang. I just saw running and it was just instinct to run," he said.
"We actually ended up in a corridor and it was a dead end. It was terrifying.
"I found the main doors and people were crying everywhere. Back at the hotel people were crying and on their phones.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
