INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING BEYOND COMPREHENSION
Indiscriminate bombing 'beyond comprehension' says businessman
A BUSINESSMAN has spoken of the miraculous escape from injury of members of his staff who were just yards away from the epicentre of Saturday's bomb.
Tragically, though the bodies of nine other people were to be removed from S.D. Kells over the next few harrowing hours. They were taken out by the emergency services.
Some had been customers, others are thought to have been blown into the premises by the force of the bomb.
Company director, Mr. Roy Kells was in Scotland when he received a mobile phone message that there had been a bomb in Omagh, and that there were casualties but members of his staff were OK.
However, as the evening wore on it became clear the situation was a much worse than initially indicated and he was told there were bodies in his shop, he recalled this week.
On returning home on Sunday he learned that the car had been parked almost directly outside his shop.
None of his staff were seriously injured, but several had "miraculously escapes", he said.
"One of the girls was serving a lady customer and bent down to find some shoes behind the counter. In that instant the bomb exploded and although the girl was not hurt the customer was killed.
"Another of the girls was actually standing in the doorway but by some miracle was not injured," he said.
Tragically, though, three of those who died were Beragh women, Mrs. Mary Grimes, her pregnant daughter, Avril Monaghan, and 18-month-old granddaughter, Maura.
Mr Kells said he had visited the homes to express his condolences to the family.
And Mr. Kells said he had mixed emotions in that while his staff were not badly hurt many of his customers had been.
After the blast staff went out of the rear of the building and around to Market Street to give what help they could to the injured.
He added that his Lisnaskea store had been a frequent target of bombers, and said words could not express how he felt about those who had carried out the attack.
"How could anybody in a crowded street with kids and everything else plant a bomb? To leave it indiscriminately like that is just beyond comprehension," he said.
A BUSINESSMAN has spoken of the miraculous escape from injury of members of his staff who were just yards away from the epicentre of Saturday's bomb.
Tragically, though the bodies of nine other people were to be removed from S.D. Kells over the next few harrowing hours. They were taken out by the emergency services.
Some had been customers, others are thought to have been blown into the premises by the force of the bomb.
Company director, Mr. Roy Kells was in Scotland when he received a mobile phone message that there had been a bomb in Omagh, and that there were casualties but members of his staff were OK.
However, as the evening wore on it became clear the situation was a much worse than initially indicated and he was told there were bodies in his shop, he recalled this week.
On returning home on Sunday he learned that the car had been parked almost directly outside his shop.
None of his staff were seriously injured, but several had "miraculously escapes", he said.
"One of the girls was serving a lady customer and bent down to find some shoes behind the counter. In that instant the bomb exploded and although the girl was not hurt the customer was killed.
"Another of the girls was actually standing in the doorway but by some miracle was not injured," he said.
Tragically, though, three of those who died were Beragh women, Mrs. Mary Grimes, her pregnant daughter, Avril Monaghan, and 18-month-old granddaughter, Maura.
Mr Kells said he had visited the homes to express his condolences to the family.
And Mr. Kells said he had mixed emotions in that while his staff were not badly hurt many of his customers had been.
After the blast staff went out of the rear of the building and around to Market Street to give what help they could to the injured.
He added that his Lisnaskea store had been a frequent target of bombers, and said words could not express how he felt about those who had carried out the attack.
"How could anybody in a crowded street with kids and everything else plant a bomb? To leave it indiscriminately like that is just beyond comprehension," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0118
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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