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Reaction that’s winning hearts after Manchester attack

Many taxi drivers who weren't working at the time of the attack made their way to the MEN Arena to help those stranded by offering transportation.

AJ Singh
AJ Singh Source: Channel 4 News

Cab driver AJ Singh placed a sign on his cab offering free taxi rides after a suicide attack killed scores at the Manchester Arena on Monday night

AJ said he picked up a number of strangers, some of whom were injured and took them to their destination.  

"Manchester - we're glue, and we stick together when it counts," he told Channel 4 News.

He wasn’t on the job when the blast rocked the Manchester Arena leaving 22 dead and scores injured.

"I just heard the news and I thought Manchester needs our help.”

“As a Sikh, we are meant to help the community when it’s needed," said AJ.

Many other taxi services also offered free rides to passengers after the blast rocked the venue.

Some taxi drivers called up their fellow cabbies, not working at the time, encouraging them to head to the arena and help people move to their destinations.

Local Sikh temples or the gurdwaras as they are known, offered free food and shelter to those affected or stranded due to the attack.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara Educational & Cultural Centre, Gurdwara Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib, Dasmesh Sikh Temple and the Central Manchester Gurudwara opened their doors to those in need.

Twenty-two-year-old Salman Abedi, a Briton of Libyan descent, was identified as the perpetrator of Monday's deadly attack. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

UK Prime Minister Theresa May warned on Tuesday that a new attack may be imminent and there was a possibility of a wider group of individuals linked to the attack.

May said the threat level was being raised from severe to critical on the recommendation of the intelligence services and she was activating a plan for armed military personnel to assist police.

For more news and updates, follow SBS Punjabi on Facebook and Twitter.


2 min read

Published

Updated

By Shamsher Kainth



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