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Central Florida reacts to explosion in Manchester

Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017 in Manchester, England. There were reports of at least one explosion at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening.

Greater Manchester Police say 22 people have been confirmed dead in an explosion at Manchester Arena that is being treated as a possible terrorist attack.

Emergency vehicles were on the scene helping the injured and bomb disposal units were later seen outside the venue.

There was mass panic after the explosion at the end of the concert, which was part of Grande's The Dangerous Woman Tour.

Central Florida residents took to Twitter to send their thoughts on the attack.

Statements from Central Florida authorities:

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings: "I have been monitoring the developments in Manchester, England regarding the explosion at a concert there. The loss of life is great and we offer our condolences to all the families affected as they deal with the tragic aftermath. We stand in solidarity with our law enforcement counterparts in the U.K. as they commence the difficult task of conducting the investigation to identify the perpetrators and anyone who may have aided in this bombing, which has the earmarks of terrorism.

Locally, I continue to work closely with my state and federal counterparts to ensure we remain in communication. Deputies are maintaining a heightened level of alertness in our communities and business districts. We ask residents to constantly maintain a level of daily awareness as they go about their day to day activities and report anything suspicious."

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