Bomb disposal squad called to Manchester flats in false alarm

An Army bomb disposal unit and police officers rushed to a block of flats in Manchester today responding to calls but it turned out to be a false alarm when a suspicious package was declared safe amid heightened security fears following the concert bombing.

Earlier reports from Greater Manchester Police had suggested the units were responding to calls from a college in Trafford but was later clarified as an incident in Hulme area in the centre of the city.

"Police are responding to a call at a college in Trafford. Officers are in attendance and we are currently assessing the situation.EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) have arrived on site," Greater Manchester Police had said in a statement.
 

It later clarified, "The Army attended Linby street in Hulme and not a college in Trafford. There was a cordon at Hulme, not Trafford, as previously suggested, relating to a possible suspicious package."

"This has now been deemed safe and the cordon has been removed," police said.

The EOD conducted a search at a block of flats and left the site on Linby Street soon after.

Intense police activity and a major lockdown in the area was later lifted.

The city has been on high alert since Monday's suicide bombing that claimed 22 lives at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena.

National Health Service England said today that a total of 116 injured people received hospital treatment, of which 75 remain hospitalised -- 23 in critical condition.

The false alarm came just as the UK held a minute's silence at 11 AM local time in memory of the victims of the attack.

Queen Elizabeth II visited the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital to meet the children injured in the attack and the staff at the hospital.

Her visit is being described as a morale boosting tour for the patients and healthcare professionals caring for them.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May has said the threat level in the UK will remain at "critical".

Libyan-origin Salman Abedi blew himself up at end of an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena on Monday night, killing 22 people and injuring dozens of others.