Sergeant who gave first aid to bomb victims ‘frustrated’ by lack of medics

A POLICE sergeant who dealt with casualties in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing told a colleague “we need the medics”, a public inquiry has heard.

Sergeant Kam Hare and his team from the Tactical Aid Unit of Greater Manchester Police went to the City Room, or foyer, of the arena after Salman Abedi detonated a device which killed 22 people, including several from Yorkshire, and injured hundreds of others on May 22, 2017.

Yesterday, the public inquiry into the attack heard Sgt Hare entered the City Room at 10.55pm, when just one paramedic was in the room, and repeatedly emphasised the need for more ambulance staff to be there, until most of the casualties were moved out by about 11.40pm.

He said he and his team of constables offered basic first aid and used makeshift stretchers to carry the injured, but he expected paramedics and ambulances were on the way.

The inquiry has heard only three paramedics treated casualties in the City Room on the night, including two from the Hazardous Area Response Team who arrived more than 40 minutes after the explosion happened at 10.31pm.

Footage taken from Sgt Hare’s bodyworn camera showed that at 11pm he told a police constable that medics were needed.

He told the inquiry: “I was frustrated. I was thinking ‘where are they, where are the paramedics? There’s one here and we need more’.”

He added: “Minutes were going by and there was people there with lots of injuries and we needed paramedics with the expertise and better equipment there as quickly as possible.”

The inquiry heard that at 11.13pm Sgt Hare was asked by a colleague if paramedics were coming, and replied: “Paramedics mate, they need to be coming in, in droves.”

Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said: “Throughout this whole period of time you are speaking to people who are injured, you are speaking to your staff, encouraging them to help to the extent that they can, encouraging them to support each other.”

The inquiry is looking at events before, during and after the suicide bombing by 22-year-old Abedi after a concert.