Arena bomb victim only evacuated 40 minutes after blast

A v i c t i m o f t h e M a n c h e s - ter Arena bombing was only e v a c u a t e d f r o m t h e s c e n e more than 40 minutes after the explosion and chest compressions only started on him more than an hour later, the public inquiry into the attack has heard.

The treatment of John Atkinson, 28, was highlighted as the resp onse of the emergency services came under the spotlight on the second day of the inquiry in Manchester.

Mr Atkinson was only evacuated from the scene of the blast 46 minutes after suicide bomber Salman Abedi deto - nated his home -made bomb packed with shrapnel in the Cit y Ro om, the foyer of the arena, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

Mr Atkinson was taken on a makeshift stretcher to a triage area of Victoria Station, which forms par t of the arena venue site, and remained there for another 24 minutes. But chest compressions were only started on him one hour and 15 minutes after he was first injured in the blast.

He was one of the 22 murdered and hundreds injured in the attack on 22 May 2017.

Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said: “The issue of John Atkinson’s survivability is, as we shall explore, a significant issue for the inquir y to consider.”

The inquiry also heard:

● The first paramedic arrived on scene in the City Room 19 minutes after the blast and was the only one there for the first 40 minutes;

● Only one stretcher was used during the incident, with the hundreds of others injured being ferried using crash barriers, makeshift carriers or carried in arms;

● The fire ser vice, which did have stretchers, only arrived on scene t wo hours and six minutes after the bomb went off:

● A terror training exerc i s e , m a t c h i n g t h e r e a l thing, had taken place in the City Room less than a year before the bombing.

Mr Greaney said it was important to acknowledge the huge pressure and the “a g o ny o f t h e m o m e n t ” emergency service personnel were working under at the time. “Within the first ten minutes, at least 12 BTP (British Transport Police) o f f i c e r s h a d r e a c h e d o r we r e i n t h e i m m e d i a t e vicinity of the City Room,” h e s a i d . “T h o s e w h o entered offered assistance to the people they encountered. The inquir y may in due course conclude that i n b e h av i n g a s t h e y d i d , they showed the very best of humanit y, acting selflessly.”