CENTRE FOCUS FOR NEWS OF VICTIMS
Centre focus for news of explosion victims
By Martin Anderson
HUNDREDS of worried friends and relatives of people who were in Omagh town centre at the time of the explosion continued to arrive at the town's leisure centre into the early hours of Sunday morning.
The leisure complex had been turned into the main incident centre where relatives could search for information about their loved ones.
A gruesome list of those injured was regularly updated on the walls of the centre's canteen as parents looked for the names of their children and which hospital they had been taken to.
Others were taken aside by police who were collecting information on those missing and gathering photographs to help in the identification process.
The lists revealed the extent of the horror with men, women and children caught up in the blast.
Scattered among the names of people from across Northern Ireland were the names of Spanish children as young as 11 and 12.
John McKinney, chief executive of Omagh District Council, coordinated the setting up of the incident centre and of social workers who were on hand to counsel relatives.
He said "We are collating information and trying our best to pass it on to relatives. There is a lot of confusion around because patients have been transferred to other hospitals and we're having problems with the phone system.
"Even communicating between sites in Omagh is proving difficult never mind with other hospitals in Belfast and Derry".
Many stood around in a daze after hearing that their loved ones had been killed. They didn't know where to go or what to do.
One mother had to be supported by her young sons and medical staff as she made her way out of the centre after hearing a relative had been killed.
By Martin Anderson
HUNDREDS of worried friends and relatives of people who were in Omagh town centre at the time of the explosion continued to arrive at the town's leisure centre into the early hours of Sunday morning.
The leisure complex had been turned into the main incident centre where relatives could search for information about their loved ones.
A gruesome list of those injured was regularly updated on the walls of the centre's canteen as parents looked for the names of their children and which hospital they had been taken to.
Others were taken aside by police who were collecting information on those missing and gathering photographs to help in the identification process.
The lists revealed the extent of the horror with men, women and children caught up in the blast.
Scattered among the names of people from across Northern Ireland were the names of Spanish children as young as 11 and 12.
John McKinney, chief executive of Omagh District Council, coordinated the setting up of the incident centre and of social workers who were on hand to counsel relatives.
He said "We are collating information and trying our best to pass it on to relatives. There is a lot of confusion around because patients have been transferred to other hospitals and we're having problems with the phone system.
"Even communicating between sites in Omagh is proving difficult never mind with other hospitals in Belfast and Derry".
Many stood around in a daze after hearing that their loved ones had been killed. They didn't know where to go or what to do.
One mother had to be supported by her young sons and medical staff as she made her way out of the centre after hearing a relative had been killed.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0041
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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