Homeless hailed as heroes in Manchester attack

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — A homeless man begging at the Manchester Arena as the suicide attack went off was being hailed as a hero Tuesday after cradling a dying woman in his arms.

Chris Parker, 33, had been begging in the arena foyer where suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his device late Monday, killing 22 people.

Amid the carnage and chaos as people began to leave the concert by US pop star Ariane Grande, who has a large teenage girl following, he rushed to help victims.

Stephen Jones, 35, who had been sleeping rough near the arena in the northwest English city, also ran to help deal with the gruesome aftermath.

Members of the public have raised thousands of pounds (dollars, euros) to pay them back for their heroics.

A tearful Parker recounted: “I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.

“It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help,” he told the Press Association news agency.

“There was people lying on the floor everywhere.

“I saw a little girl… she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said ‘where is your mum and daddy?’ She said: ‘my dad is at work, my mum is up there’.”

He said he thought the mother had died.

‘I haven’t stopped crying’

Parker, who has slept rough in Manchester for about a year, regularly goes to the arena to beg for change as crowds head home from the 21,000-capacity venue.

He said he tended to a woman who died as he tried to comfort her.

“She passed away in my arms. She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family,” Parker said.

“I haven’t stopped crying.

“The most shocking part of it is that it was a kids’ concert.

“There were nuts and bolts all over the floor. People had holes in their back.

“It’s the screams I can’t get over and the smell… I don’t like to say it but it smelled like burning flesh.”

A crowdfunding webpage set up for him has raised more than £10,000 ($13,000, 11,600 euros).

The page was set up by Michael Johns, who said he felt compelled to help “one of our most vulnerable in society who showed great selflessness and courage”.

Johns said he was not yet in touch with Parker but was trying to track him down through journalists who spoke to him.

‘We need to give back’ 


Jones, a former bricklayer who has been sleeping rough for more than a year, recalled wiping blood from children’s eyes after dashing to help.

“It was a lot of children with blood all over them, crying and screaming,” he told ITV television.

“We were having to pull nails out of their arms and a couple out of this little girl’s face.”

Jones said it was “just instinct” to help.

“If I didn’t help I wouldn’t be able to live with myself walking away and leaving kids like that,” he said.

A crowdfunding page for Jones has also raised £10,000.

“Just because I’m homeless, it doesn’t mean I haven’t got a heart,” he said.

“There’s a lot of good people with Manchester who help us out and we need to give back too.” CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Egyptian Christians recall horror of Islamist bombing of church

TANTA, Egypt — Coptic Christian worshippers in Egypt spoke of horrific scenes on Sunday after a bomb ripped through their church during a service, mangling bodies and destroying pews.

“There was a violent explosion near the altar,” Edmon Edward told AFP.

“Suddenly everything became black, people flew over each other,” he said.

He had been attending Palm Sunday mass at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta with his brother Emil, who stood with a white bandage wrapped around his head, when the attack claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) group happened.

The explosion killed at least 27 people, and was followed hours later by a second bombing at a church in Alexandria, which killed 17.

At the church in Tanta, icons of Christ and St George looked down on a tangle of destroyed pews and congealing blood on the floor tiles.

“I head the blast, and then I saw a woman run barefoot with her face oozing blood,” said a taxi driver who asked not to be identified.

In hospital, a wounded witness told state television: “I just felt fire grabbing my face. I pushed my brother who was sitting next to me and then I heard people saying: ‘explosion’.”

Nabil Nader, 65, who lives opposite the church, spoke of the attack’s aftermath and said the first three rows of pews in the church were destroyed.

“I heard the blast and came running. I found people torn up… some people, only half of their bodies remained,” he said.

“The father of a friend of my son was in the front row,” he said, his voice breaking with anguish. “We found only his shoe.”

Nearby, a man held up a burned prayer book and a traditional braided palm-leaf crucifix, stained with blood.

“They came to pray and they died,” he said.

“The victims were destroyed,” said Mohammed, a nursing student helping at the hospital were the victims of the attack were taken.

“Some are broken up inside. Some are completely burned,” he said.

‘Oh Lord, have mercy’
Police sirens wailed incessantly around the city as ambulances ferried victims to hospital.

Security forces cordoned off the church, but residents who gathered nearby were unable to hide their anger.

Despite the presence of metal detectors, the bomber was apparently able to enter the building without any hindrance.

“How was the bomb able to enter, while police” were outside the church, asked Nagat Assaad, holding back tears.

“What are the detectors for? We don’t want their protection.”

There were similar scenes in second city Alexandria after the attack there.

Several hours after the attack, a Coptic woman expressed her anger at police blocking access to the church.

“What’s the use of closing the street now? You should have done it before the explosion!” she said.

Dozens of Copts gathered near the scene, brandishing wooden crosses and chanting “Oh Lord, have mercy”.

Shards of glass littered the street and pavement outside the door where the suicide bomber activated his explosive belt.

Hussein, a salesman in a shop opposite the church who witnessed the Alexandria blast, said he was “blown over by the shockwave” and fell to the ground.

Egypt’s Copts, who have suffered repeated deadly jihadist attacks, say they feel abandoned and discriminated against by the authorities in the predominantly Muslim country.

But despite their fears, the Christians of Tanta said they are determined to defend their faith.

“We’re Christian and we will stay Christian,” one woman said in a defiant tone. CBB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net