British students caught up in Paris attacks speak of the slaughter they witnessed

People who witnessed the attack speak out about what they saw

TWO British students have spoken of their horror as they were caught up in the slaughter in Paris.

 

Hannah Corbett and Jack Konda, both 21, fled for their lives after gunmen targeted an Eagles Of Death Metal gig at the Bataclan Theatre.

Nottingham University student Miss Corbett, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, said: “It was towards the end of the gig and we heard what sounded like firecrackers or fireworks.

“Everyone thought it was part of the show but then I saw the lead singer’s face drop before he ran off stage, and the lights came on.

“When the music stopped, there was this haunting silence in between gunfire and I could see blood on the floor.

“Some managed to crawl out but there was just a pile of people by the fire exit. We didn’t know what we were crawling over.

“Then when we got out there were just people running for their lives. It was quite disturbing.”

Mr Konda, who moved to Paris last month, said he saw a gunman walking around the concert hall.

 



One man was saved from shrapnel because he was using his mobile phone



He added: “It was such a relief when we got out of those doors. It puts into perspective just how lucky we were.”

Video footage emerged yesterday of the stampede of people escaping the terrorists and dragging their wounded friends with them.

One woman has been caught on camera hanging on to a window ledge as blasts can be heard from inside the theatre. Marc Coupris, 57, said: “It looked like a battlefield, there was blood everywhere, there were bodies everywhere.

 

All the walls started to vibrate. The match was not stopped and we thought it was just a firework

David Haddad, witness at Stade de France

“I was at the far side of the hall when shooting began. There seemed to be at least two gunmen. They shot from the balcony.”

Benjamin Cazenoves, who hid on the floor as other concertgoers were slaughtered around him, wrote a desperate plea for help on Facebook.

“I am still in the Bataclan,” he wrote. “First floor. People with serious injuries.

“They have to storm the building quickly. They are killing everyone. One by one. First floor, quick!”

Theresa Cede, who was in the audience, said: “There were grenades, body parts flying around, people shouting, screaming.

“I got more or less buried under a man who was shot in the head next to me and so I was underneath him. And from there nobody moved. Then we heard terrorists who were shouting, Syria was in it. And then mostly it was, ‘Stay down, don’t move, we’ll shoot you’.

“But then they shot anyway. I was thinking to myself, is it going to be me next?”

Shortly before the attack at the rock concert, terrified football fans were also forced to flee.

David Haddad, 24, was at the France v Germany game at the Stade de France when he heard explosions.

 



People gather to mourn in Paris



“We heard a first boom,” he said.

“All the walls started to vibrate. The match was not stopped and we thought it was just a firework.

“But one minute later there was another one with more noise and more vibrations.

“This time we knew that something was wrong. People started to take out their mobile phones.

“We waited, the atmosphere was strange and 10 minutes later we got a notification which said President Francois ­Hollande was evacuated because of bombs in the stadium. We started to run out and we saw a lot of policemen with guns. I had never seen that before.

“What you have to know is that inside we understood nothing about what was going on.”

A Frenchman has also told how he was saved after shrapnel hit his mobile phone when one of the attackers blew himself up outside the stadium.

The man, known only as Sylvestre, said his head would have been hit had he not been using his phone.

Speaking on television, he said: “This is the cell phone that took the hit, it’s what saved me. Otherwise my head would have been blown to bits. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

 

Video footage emerged yesterday of the stampede of people escaping the terrorists

A Dutch student named Lieke, who lives near La Belle Equipe bar, was asked to provide blankets to cover the bodies.

The 17-year-old said: “We thought it was a small fire but then we heard women screaming.

“The police started yelling for sheets and we ran back inside and found some. We still thought the sheets were for putting out the fire but then we found out they were to cover dead bodies.”