The distraught parents of two Barra girls missing after the Manchester bomb attack have flown to the city.
Laura MacIntyre, 15, and Eilidh Macleod, 14, have not been heard of since they attended the Ariana Grande concert which was targeted by a suicide bomber last night.
Eilidh’s mother, Marion -
The concert tickets were Eilidh’s birthday present. The two girls are huge fans of the American singer and were excited about the trip.
Last contact was a text message about 10.30pm from Eilidh to her mother who was staying at a nearby hotel saying the performance was just about ending said SNP candidate Angus MacNeil
Mr MacNeil -
He said it was “awful” there is no “sign of the girls.”
Police say a suicide bomber caused an explosion outside the city's Manchester Arena, as thousands of people poured out of the venue after a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande.
As Marion approached the venue to collect the girls she saw a scene of chaos with people rushing out in panic and confusion. The teenagers were nowhere to be seen.
Overnight, the frantic mum desperately scoured streets, hotels and any place where the girls may have sought safety.
At 5am she arrived at the Travelodge hotel in the Disbury area of the city.
Later, Marion joined parents of other missing people at the Etihad Stadium in the city to wait for updates. The venue is being used a help centre to assist people trace loved ones, recharge mobile phones and contact relatives.
Out of their minds with worry, family back home anxiously waited up all night and made plans to travel to Manchester.
Difficulties arose as the two plane flights off the island were busy and seats already booked up.
Meanwhile, hopes of news in the morning diminished after police services had no information about the two teenagers.
Passengers gave up their reservations to allow Laura’s parents to fly from the island.
Eilidh’s eldest brother Neil drove from Glasgow to Manchester.
With the plane full up, Eilidh’s father, Roddy, who works on set off at dawn to catch a ferry to journey through Uist to Benbecula airport for a southbound flight.
The Macleods hail from Vatersay and moved to Castebay about a couple of years ago.
Eilidh’s great-
Mr Manford said: “We just don’t know anything. We still have not heard anything from the Etihad Stadium where parents of the missing children have been asked to congregate to get updates.”
He thanked the “excellent” staff at Balivanich airport for “going the extra mile.”
Airline Loganair has also been praised for their assistance.
Barra teenager, Laura Macintyre found “seriously injured ” in hospital
23 May 2017
Laura MacIntyre and Eilidh Macleod lost contact with family after the terror blast