A SURVIVORS STORY
A Survivors Story
FIVE young girls from Buncrana got off the bus in Omagh at the car park and headed off with their friends to go around the shops. Walking towards the Court House, the police came and sent them back down the road warning there was a bomb scare.
Shocked and struggling to come to terms with what happened in the minutes afterwards, Latish Robinson, (14) from Inch Island, this week bravely gave her account of the horror after she rang home to tell her mother that there was a bomb scare in Omagh.
"We were for walking up the town when the bus left us off in the car park. The police were at the Court House end of the street and they chased us up the street. We went and stood outside our bus. We did not think that the bomb would go off, we thought it was just a hoax," she said.
"I telephoned home and Mammy said we would be all right. When the bomb went off it felt like the earth moving underneath us. Claire was crying and I put my arms around her. We heard then that there was another bomb.There were ambulances coming in threes and taxis and buses with hazard warning lights flashing, were taking hurt people to hospitals. The bus driver told us to go and stand behind the statue. A police man and lady came along and took our names and where we were from."
"We had to say the names of people who were not with us. We had been with Shaun and Oran,the boys who were killed and they ran the opposite direction to us.They were standing near to the car that exploded. The police told us to go to the Leisure Centre and we waited outside for ages. Sinead McLaughlin and the bus driver came," Latish said.
'What these young girls witnessed in the aftermath of the bombing will remain with them for a long time to come, their parents said on Tuesday. Breegen Morrison (11) saw a dead baby and a mother and child that had their legs and arms blown off.
Claire Hegarty (12) was in a hysterical state when she returned home. Rita Marie Doherty (11) clung to her mother on Monday night as her friend's coffins returned to the estate they all shared.
Jacqueline McManus (12) recalled how they had to lie on the grass for what she thought was around three and a half hours, during which time a priest came and blessed them.
FIVE young girls from Buncrana got off the bus in Omagh at the car park and headed off with their friends to go around the shops. Walking towards the Court House, the police came and sent them back down the road warning there was a bomb scare.
Shocked and struggling to come to terms with what happened in the minutes afterwards, Latish Robinson, (14) from Inch Island, this week bravely gave her account of the horror after she rang home to tell her mother that there was a bomb scare in Omagh.
"We were for walking up the town when the bus left us off in the car park. The police were at the Court House end of the street and they chased us up the street. We went and stood outside our bus. We did not think that the bomb would go off, we thought it was just a hoax," she said.
"I telephoned home and Mammy said we would be all right. When the bomb went off it felt like the earth moving underneath us. Claire was crying and I put my arms around her. We heard then that there was another bomb.There were ambulances coming in threes and taxis and buses with hazard warning lights flashing, were taking hurt people to hospitals. The bus driver told us to go and stand behind the statue. A police man and lady came along and took our names and where we were from."
"We had to say the names of people who were not with us. We had been with Shaun and Oran,the boys who were killed and they ran the opposite direction to us.They were standing near to the car that exploded. The police told us to go to the Leisure Centre and we waited outside for ages. Sinead McLaughlin and the bus driver came," Latish said.
'What these young girls witnessed in the aftermath of the bombing will remain with them for a long time to come, their parents said on Tuesday. Breegen Morrison (11) saw a dead baby and a mother and child that had their legs and arms blown off.
Claire Hegarty (12) was in a hysterical state when she returned home. Rita Marie Doherty (11) clung to her mother on Monday night as her friend's coffins returned to the estate they all shared.
Jacqueline McManus (12) recalled how they had to lie on the grass for what she thought was around three and a half hours, during which time a priest came and blessed them.
Further Information
Publisher: DERRY PEOPLE DONEGAL NEWS
Ref: DPDN/009
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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