Missing Scots teen separated from pal in Manchester terror attack traced safe and well

A St Andrews teenager caught up in the Manchester terror attack has been found thanks to social media.

In a frantic bid to trace her pal Heather Cupples following the atrocity, Liverpool girl Riley Blackery turned to Twitter.

Twenty-two people were killed and a further 59 injured in an apparent suicide bomb attack at a Ariana Grande gig in the city.

Police were called to Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion at 10.33pm, shortly after the US singer had finished her performance.

Riley met Heather, 16, over the internet and the pair attended the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena together.

But in the aftermath of the blast Riley could not find Heather.

https://twitter.com/RileyBlackery/status/866781699174215680

https://twitter.com/RileyBlackery/status/866802044539219969

And according to the Liverpool Echo, with Heather’s phone switched off, and all on her own, Riley could do nothing else but to ask strangers to retweet a photo of her friend and pray someone would get in touch.

A call around hotels in Manchester failed to give Riley any news of her pal, but as she searched, more than 24,000 people reposted the picture she had put online of Heather to help in the search.

Riley said: “I’ve never been more stressed.”

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/uk-world/432466/number-of-fatalities-after-explosion-reported-at-manchester-arena-pop-concert-articleisfree/

But only an hour later Nathan Lamb replied to Riley on Twitter to say he had found Heather alone and took her into his hotel.

He tweeted: “She’s safe, we’re at a premier inn right now on Medlock Street, we saw her on the street and her phone was dead so we let her stay with us.”

His tweet received more than 6,000 retweets.

Riley then replied: “We got hold of her, she’s safe!!

“She’s okay. Thank you all so much.”

The young friends have since been reunited, with Heather believed to be on her way back to Scotland.

Scores of youngsters at the concert were separated from their parents during the suicide bombing.

Thousands have tweeted pictures of their missing children and teenagers in an attempt to reunite them with their frantically worried families.

According to local reports, hotels around the area have taken in more than 50 youngsters who became separated from their families.