More than 150 survivors prepare civil claims, recounting harrowing experiences of being abandoned after the 2017 bombing

Survivors of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing have spoken out, alleging that emergency services left them to die in the aftermath of the attack. Law firm Hudgell Solicitors is preparing civil claims on behalf of over 150 individuals who were caught in the blast. These survivors, many of whom were closest to the bomber Salman Abedi when he detonated his device, say they felt abandoned by the authorities during their most desperate moments.

Among the claimants are sisters Janet Senior, 64, and Josie Howarth, 66, from Knottingley, West Yorkshire. The pair were in the City Room foyer, waiting for their nieces after the Ariana Grande concert, when the bomb went off. Although they survived, Ms Howarth was left with two metal nuts lodged in her leg, and Ms Senior had a large nut embedded in her neck after her clavicle was shattered.

Ms Senior recounted the hour-long wait for help, a time she describes as haunting. “We were left with no assistance,” she said. “Josie was slipping in and out of consciousness, and I feared she was going to die. We were terrified and alone.” She vividly remembers the cries for help around her, the fading voices of those who had stopped asking for assistance as time passed. “We were left to die,” she said.

Both sisters criticised the lack of action from emergency services, claiming that while ordinary people acted as heroes to help, the response from authorities was disorganised and insufficient. “There were too many chiefs and not enough doers,” Ms Senior remarked, stating that she understood the hesitation to put rescuers in danger, but firmly believed the services had a duty to try to save lives.

Andrea Bradbury, a retired police officer with counter-terrorism experience, also spoke of the failures she witnessed. Having suffered only minor injuries herself, she saw first-hand the chaotic response to the attack. She believes the bombing was preventable and claims that a lack of preparedness from the police and emergency services led to further suffering. “The response was appalling,” she said. “It was a perfect storm of failures.” Bradbury, who was already on the phone to counter-terrorism within minutes of the blast, noted that the emergency services were unprepared, and even when teams arrived, they were hindered by delays.

Ruth Murrell, 52, and her daughter Emily, 18, also recounted the traumatic moments following the explosion. Ruth witnessed the death of a friend while she and Emily awaited help. Both mother and daughter have struggled with severe psychological scars from the event, as have their extended families. Ruth’s daughter Jessica, who had given up her concert ticket to let Emily attend, suffers from survivor’s guilt and required counselling.

The aftermath of the attack has left Ruth with long-lasting physical and emotional damage. After undergoing several surgeries and extensive therapy, she had to leave her job at a GP surgery, while Emily has had to relearn to walk after losing significant movement in her foot. “We were left in the foyer with no assistance, and people were dying around us,” Ruth said.

The survivors are now seeking compensation for their physical and psychological injuries, as well as loss of earnings and ongoing care. Their lawyer, representing over 150 clients, hopes the civil claims will bring attention to the many failures in the emergency response, which they argue could have been prevented with better planning and organisation.

“What happened at Manchester Arena was a shambles,” Ruth Murrell stated. “We know many mistakes were made. While we can’t change the past, we must ensure the right lessons are learned and the necessary improvements are made in future emergency responses.”