by LAUREN CODLING
“OUT of the loop” fire rescue teams did not arrive at the scene of the Manchester terror attack for nearly two hours due to “poor communication [and] procedure”, a new report has revealed.
The Kerslake Report, released on Tuesday (27), additionally found a casualty bureau was hampered by the “complete failure” by phone network Vodafone, as it failed to collate information on the missing and injured, and families were “hounded” by journalists in the aftermath of the attack.
Twenty-two people died last May after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made bomb. A further 700 people were injured.
The report confirmed the first North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) paramedic arrived at 22:42, just over ten minutes after the blast.
However, according to the review, fire services had no “meaningful role” at the scene, as they arrived significantly late due to fears that there was an on-going terror attack and they would not be safe, the review concluded.
Rob Grew, an individual who helped in the aftermath of the attack, told BBC he did not think there were enough emergency staff at the scene on time.
“There were only three ambulance staff, one of which was prepped to start with. Another two came in 10-20 minutes after,” he recalled.
“Forty minutes in, a large presence of police came, about 50 armed police secured the foyer, most of which were probably instructed to just stand and secure the premises and not to help.”
Grew also confirmed he thought that more victims may have survived if there had been more emergency staff on hand within the first fifteen minutes.
The report also flagged up the “catastrophic failures” by the National Mutual Aid Telephony system operated by Vodafone, set up on contract by the Home Office since 2009.
The phone network operates an emergency phone system meant to help communication
when a terror attack occurs, allowing other police forces to help call handlers in Greater Manchester and to set up a casualty bureau to help locate missing or injured individuals.
However, the failure of the system meant families involved in the tragedy were caused more stress as they were “reduced to a frantic search around the hospitals of Greater Manchester to find out more”.
The report found “shocking” accounts by families affected who were apparently
“hounded” by members of the media.
The panel say they were “dismayed” to hear of individuals experiencing a “lack of respect” by journalists, some of whom even attempted to take photos when families were receiving bad news.
Figen Murray, the mother of victim Martyn Hett, claimed a journalist informed her daughter of Hett’s death before it was confirmed by police.
“To put [my daughter] in that position is unforgivable… it is unethical, totally unethical,” she said.
Other key findings noted that young children affected by the attack had to wait approximately eight months for mental health support and not enough first-aid
supplies were available at the scene, meaning some victims were carried out on advertising boards rather than stretchers.
However, the report commended the Manchester Arena staff, the British Transport Police (BTP) and members of the public who stayed to help for their “enormous bravery and compassion”.
The panel also noted how family liaison officers and bereavement nurses provided a “vital” source of care to many, going on to support individual families in the aftermath of the terror attack.
Apsana Begum
