BUSINESSMAN TELLS OF BEDLAM SCENES AS HE WENT TO HELP INJURED
Business tells of bedlam scenes as he went to help injured
CAMPSIE businessman, Mr Derek Breslin, of Magic Moments printing shop, was at the scene of the bomb within seconds of the blast. He told the Tyrone Constitution about the scenes of bedlam he witnessed in Omagh on Saturday afternoon.
"It was just a normal Saturday. Trade was steady: not busy, but not quiet, and I expected to get my work done and then go home, as usual.
"Another shop keeper came in and mentioned that there was a bomb scare at the Courthouse, but we didn't think it was anything serious, and anyway, if it was for real, we thought we were far enough away. But when we heard that blast, we knew it was no hoax.
"I dived out the door and got to the other side of the bridge, only to see people emerging from dust, smoke and debris. They were all cut and gashed. It was horrible, so much blood, and flesh, and glass sticking out of people.
"From the corner of my eye I saw a group of four kids, and I heard them speaking a foreign language - Spanish - and I thought, in the confusion, they needed more help than anyone else.
"Two of them were very badly injured, with glass in their heads, bellies, arms and necks. Blood was dripping from them," Mr Breslin said.
"One of the girls was very badly hurt, bleeding from her ears and mouth. She was absolutely covered with glass, and kept crying that she was going to die. And all of them were half deaf from the blast.
"Bedlam is the only word that can describe the centre of Omagh. I'm glad I stopped at the crossroads and didn't go any further.
"My wife and I brought the children back to the shop, where we grabbed bowls of water and washed the blood off their bodies. We realised that we couldn't pull all the glass out, so we took them to the hospital."
Mr Breslin went on: "We had seen people with more serious injuries on Market Street and we knew they would need the ambulances, so we took the children in the car.
"Everybody else was doing something to help the people who were hurt and injured, so I didn't do anything special, and I don't deserve to be singled out.
"Casualty was like a nightmare wrong, absolute carnage.
Limbs were hanging off people, and there was blood everywhere. I suppose I took it all in very slowly, there was so much panic and confusion.
"One little girl was being brought in, complaining that her arm was sore. She didn't realise that her leg was missing beneath the shin.
"I am trained in first aid, but nothing could prepare you for what happened on Saturday. I have nothing but praise for the people at the hospital for coping with the situation so well.
"I got as much information from the Spanish kids as I could. It was lucky that their English was so good, as I don't have a word of Spanish.
"They kept reverting to Spanish, but once we got them to the hospital they were very calm, I suppose they were in shock. They were concerned for their teachers and friends.
"My wife ran around, picking up bandages, and helping people, while I came back to the scene to find the group leaders. I hoped that the four we found had been separated from the group, and the rest were safe.
"I found their bus at the depot, but couldn't find any of the people, but, in the hospital, my wife found one of the Spanish leaders and two more of the children.
Their injuries were even worse, and their bones were showing through their skin. We don't know what happened to the four we assisted, they must have been transferred to another hospital.
"Those who did this are lowlifes. How can they live with themselves?
"The people who were herded down the street didn't know whether to hang round or go home, I suppose they thought they might get back into the shops.
"Everyone thought the bomb scare was at the Courthouse, at the other end of town. The last thing they thought was that the bomb would go off only feet away.
"Sadly, the hardest part is yet to come. The people whose relatives were killed, or who were injured themselves, will have to face this in the weeks, months and years to come," Mr Breslin said.
CAMPSIE businessman, Mr Derek Breslin, of Magic Moments printing shop, was at the scene of the bomb within seconds of the blast. He told the Tyrone Constitution about the scenes of bedlam he witnessed in Omagh on Saturday afternoon.
"It was just a normal Saturday. Trade was steady: not busy, but not quiet, and I expected to get my work done and then go home, as usual.
"Another shop keeper came in and mentioned that there was a bomb scare at the Courthouse, but we didn't think it was anything serious, and anyway, if it was for real, we thought we were far enough away. But when we heard that blast, we knew it was no hoax.
"I dived out the door and got to the other side of the bridge, only to see people emerging from dust, smoke and debris. They were all cut and gashed. It was horrible, so much blood, and flesh, and glass sticking out of people.
"From the corner of my eye I saw a group of four kids, and I heard them speaking a foreign language - Spanish - and I thought, in the confusion, they needed more help than anyone else.
"Two of them were very badly injured, with glass in their heads, bellies, arms and necks. Blood was dripping from them," Mr Breslin said.
"One of the girls was very badly hurt, bleeding from her ears and mouth. She was absolutely covered with glass, and kept crying that she was going to die. And all of them were half deaf from the blast.
"Bedlam is the only word that can describe the centre of Omagh. I'm glad I stopped at the crossroads and didn't go any further.
"My wife and I brought the children back to the shop, where we grabbed bowls of water and washed the blood off their bodies. We realised that we couldn't pull all the glass out, so we took them to the hospital."
Mr Breslin went on: "We had seen people with more serious injuries on Market Street and we knew they would need the ambulances, so we took the children in the car.
"Everybody else was doing something to help the people who were hurt and injured, so I didn't do anything special, and I don't deserve to be singled out.
"Casualty was like a nightmare wrong, absolute carnage.
Limbs were hanging off people, and there was blood everywhere. I suppose I took it all in very slowly, there was so much panic and confusion.
"One little girl was being brought in, complaining that her arm was sore. She didn't realise that her leg was missing beneath the shin.
"I am trained in first aid, but nothing could prepare you for what happened on Saturday. I have nothing but praise for the people at the hospital for coping with the situation so well.
"I got as much information from the Spanish kids as I could. It was lucky that their English was so good, as I don't have a word of Spanish.
"They kept reverting to Spanish, but once we got them to the hospital they were very calm, I suppose they were in shock. They were concerned for their teachers and friends.
"My wife ran around, picking up bandages, and helping people, while I came back to the scene to find the group leaders. I hoped that the four we found had been separated from the group, and the rest were safe.
"I found their bus at the depot, but couldn't find any of the people, but, in the hospital, my wife found one of the Spanish leaders and two more of the children.
Their injuries were even worse, and their bones were showing through their skin. We don't know what happened to the four we assisted, they must have been transferred to another hospital.
"Those who did this are lowlifes. How can they live with themselves?
"The people who were herded down the street didn't know whether to hang round or go home, I suppose they thought they might get back into the shops.
"Everyone thought the bomb scare was at the Courthouse, at the other end of town. The last thing they thought was that the bomb would go off only feet away.
"Sadly, the hardest part is yet to come. The people whose relatives were killed, or who were injured themselves, will have to face this in the weeks, months and years to come," Mr Breslin said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0013
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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