#RoomForManchester: Students offer help to those affected by explosion

23 May 2017

Using the hashtag #RoomForManchester, students in Manchester are joining locals to help those displaced following the explosions at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena late Monday night.

Students from University of Salford and Manchester University are tweeting their offers of food, drinks and WiFi, in addition to room and beds at their accommodation.

#roomformanchester student house in Hulme with beds/sofas/wifi/cuppas etc. DM for address and phone number x

— KiΞRAN (@kieranhepworth) May 23, 2017

https://twitter.com/emilylowndes97/status/866830532969193472

#RoomforManchester awful student accommodation but I have room

— greenest beanest (@GeorgiaMaeSixx) May 23, 2017

Phone chargers and power points were also offered by the Good Samaritans for those affected to re-charge their mobile devices and inform their families they were safe – many at the concert were young fans, whose parents were left frantically looking for via social media after the explosion.

People are applauding the acts of generosity displayed through #RoomForManchester‘s acts of generosity, calling it “awesome” and “an absolute class act”, among others.

https://twitter.com/_Aaron_Anthony_/status/866804842349703168

At least 19 died and more than 50 injured when an explosion went off around 10.35pm, as Grande was ending her concert. After a huge blast was felt, thousands reportedly tried to escape the building and many were later left displaced after the incident.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has branded it a terrorist attack, while two United States officials said a suicide bomber was suspected, reported Reuters.

Earlier this year, students in the British capital city of London were shaken by an incident where one Khalid Masood ploughed pedestrians on Westminster Bridge with his car, injuring about 40 people. He then fatally stabbed policeman Keith Palmer.