Manchester: Stories of random acts of kindness are emerging in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, with Muslim taxi drivers and Sikh temples offering free food and rooms for the night.
As hundreds of people fled Manchester Arena following the explosion, taxi drivers began taking people to safety.
Social media users defended and praised Muslim community after the city’s Muslim began helping victims and concert-goers following the explosion.
“’Muslims are to blame’- When in reality Muslim taxi drivers are offering free lifts, and a Muslim doctor working into the night saving lives,” tweeted one social media user.
https://twitter.com/JoshhWoods/status/866803657790160897
“Absolutely a Muslim driver took me home last night gave me water and charged my phone,” tweeted another. “Absolutely stars in my eyes.”
It was a Muslim taxi driver that got me out of that hellish situation and to safety. People need to watch their words.
— Laura S (@L_Hurst) May 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/marktitman/status/866916922402775040
Manchester, a heavily industrialised city, some 260 km from London, is home to a significant number of people from South Asia.
Sam Arshad from StreetCars Manchester asked his drivers to give free rides to anyone stranded after the Ariana Grande concert.
“The audience was a very young audience, and there were a lot of people there without their parents,” he told BBC.
“There were stories of people coming on to the streets of Manchester to offer their spare rooms because people were not able to get back to their hotels.”
https://twitter.com/DawnLouisePrice/status/866954301926715393
“Muslim taxi drivers giving free lifts, Sikh temples giving food and beds, locals giving blood in the morning. Proud to call Manchester home,” tweeted Emily Bolton a local resident.
Muslim taxi drivers giving free lifts, Sikh temples giving food & beds, locals giving blood in the morning. Proud to call Manchester home
— Emily Bolton (@EmilyBolton19) May 23, 2017
Gurdwaras offered food and shelter, and many turned up to donate blood donation centres
Not just Gurudwaras in Manchester offering victims food & accommodation, this Sikh cab driver is offering free taxi service to the needy #RT pic.twitter.com/AJNXL6JurW
— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) May 23, 2017
Liverpool city region metro mayor Steve Rotheram, whose two daughters and two nieces were at the concert, praised the “spontaneous acts of ordinary people” of Manchester following last night’s attack at a concert in the city.
“And it’s then that people were requesting taxis but they didn’t have money.
“It was at that point that I made the decision that money isn’t everything in life and we’re part of Manchester and we need to do our part to make sure these people get home safe and sound,” Rotheram said.
At least 22 people were killed and 59 others injured when a lone suicide bomber set off a bomb at the Manchester Arena after US pop star Ariana Grande concluded her concert last night.
With PTI inputs