London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

Manchester Arena Inquiry: Expert details delays in fire response

Manchester Arena Inquiry: Expert details delays in fire response

All available firefighters should have been sent to the scene of the Manchester bombing sooner, an expert has told the inquiry into the atrocity.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service has previously apologised after crews took more than two hours to reach the aftermath of the 2017 bombing.

Fire service expert Matthew Hall said a commander was not in place until 80 minutes after the explosion.

The initial deployment involved just 12 firefighters, the inquiry heard.

Twenty-two people died and hundreds more were injured when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb in the arena's foyer at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.

Twenty-two people were killed in the May 2017 bombing

Firefighters who heard the blast were first instructed by bosses to drive three miles in the opposite direction, the inquiry heard.

Mr Hall, a former senior fire officer who has been appointed by the inquiry to compile an independent expert report, said crews should have been sent to the scene like the other emergency services, not to "muster" at a station three miles away.

Fire chiefs could not contact the police duty officer to find out what was going on and wrongly suspected an armed terrorist was on the loose after the bombing, the hearing was told.

The information vacuum left the fire service in paralysis with frustrated firefighters waiting for their bosses to allow them to attend, the inquiry heard.

Mr Hall said a "risk-averse" response was not due to frontline fire crews, who were "desperate to help".

The fire service had specialist teams available with stretchers and first aid units, the inquiry heard.

However, their delayed initial deployment consisted of 12 firefighters - the same response as for a house fire.

Mr Hall agreed it was "a great loss" that the fire service teams, trained to respond to terror attacks, were never deployed to the arena to help the rescue effort.

Amulances pictured close to the scene of the attack in May 2017

The inquiry was told that, if they had responded to the atrocity immediately, firefighters could have helped carry casualties away from the explosion scene.

Instead responders, including members of the public, used makeshift stretchers such as metal crowd barriers and tables to remove critically injured victims from the foyer.

"In my opinion all available and adequate resources should have been deployed at the earliest opportunity." Mr Hall said.

John Cooper QC, representing some of the families of the 22 victims, suggested the system in relation to who was incident commander on the night was "in meltdown".

Mr Hall replied: "It was certainly a confused picture, yes."

Mr Cooper continued: "At the time of this major incident, the last thing the public needed was a risk averse fire service, wasn't it, and that's just what they got, isn't it?"

Mr Hall replied: "The evidence would support that."

The inquiry continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×