I almost went for Ariana Grande concert: Singaporean in Manchester

Alysha Chandra and Lin Hui Hui
The New Paper
24 May 2017

Singaporeans in Manchester are in a state of shock after Monday's terror attack.

A student at the University of Manchester, who wanted to be known only as Miss Lim, said she almost went to the Ariana Grande concert.

The 21-year-old said: "Someone posted at 6.45pm that they had two concert tickets, and I was seriously considering it.

"I count myself lucky for not taking it in the end. It is the exam season now, and I wanted to study instead."

Mr Ng Yong Quan, an exchange student at the Stuttgart Media University in Germany, was supposed to go with two friends for Grande's concert at The O2 arena in London tomorrow, but that has been scrapped.

The 23-year-old undergraduate said: "My first thought was that it could have happened in London. It could have been us."

His friend, Miss Lee Su Fang, 20, an exchange student in Hatfield, said: "I was shocked that it could happen at a concert venue. When you hear news like this, you always think it is somewhere far and that it would not affect you.

"But now, I just feel like that could have been me."

A big fan of Grande, she had also bought tickets for tomorrow's concert.

She added: "I know it is hard to carry on after an incident like this, but on a personal level, I am just really disappointed."

Another University of Manchester student, who wanted to be known only as Sarah, lives opposite the Manchester Royal Infirmary, where many of the injured were admitted.

The 23-year-old told The New Paper she heard sirens throughout the night, but found out about the blast only an hour after it happened.

She said: "I was worried that someone I knew could have been there, so I started calling people. I called my family and friends to tell them I was safe. It is scary that this incident happened somewhere so near me."

A psychology student at the same university, who wanted to be known as Marcus, said: "I was shocked. To be safe, I think I will not go out for three days." - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ANG HWEE MIN, ELAINE LEE AND LEANNE CHUA