NIGHT OF TRAUMA RECALLED BY HEALTH OFFICIAL
NIGHT OF TRAUMA RECALLED BY HEALTH OFFICIAL
'Above all else this was a community sharing in tragedy' - David Bolton
A LEADING health official has recounted the traumatic and harrowing events which unfolded in the hours subsequent to the Omagh bombing, when hundreds of frantic people flocked to the town's leisure complex which was used as an incident centre.
David Bolton, Director of Community Care Services with the Sperrin Lakeland Trust, said that it was at around 6.00pm, almost three hours after the blast, that a decision was taken to move the focus for enquiries about those who were missing to the leisure complex.
Immediately a number of staff who had been at the Tyrone County Hospital, including social workers and community nurses, were dispatched to the centre on the Old Mountfield Road.
Over the next 24 hours staff worked with members of voluntary organisations, the centre staff and the police to support those who were making enquiries, to obtain information about missing persons and to assist families through the awful task of describing and later identifying their dead relatives.
Mr Bolton outlined details of the distressing work undertaken at the centre.
"Over the first few hours of the evening nothing seemed to be happening. However, police officers at the centre and colleagues at the Army Camp at which a temporary mortuary had been set up, were drawing together the information about those who were missing and those who had died. Also the police and the Trust agreed the basis on which families would be supported.
"During the evening Trust staff, and the members of the voluntary bodies who together made up the leisure centre team were briefed on the task to be undertaken. Later the clergy were briefed.
"Towards 11.00pm a meeting was held in the centre for those families who by now almost certainly were facing bad news."
Mr Bolton himself then briefed the families about the process that would be undertaken and advised that it would take a number of hours, through into Sunday morning at least.
"One of the most moving moments of those hours in the leisure centre was when together we, the families, clergy, police, members of voluntary organisations, staff from the leisure centre and the health and social services, joined in saying the Lord's Prayer.
"We all knew many would be facing a trail of life changing proportions, and that the events of the next hours would bring many face to face with tragic loss.
"As the night unfolded, information about those who had died reached the centre and we began to link a police officer and two
representatives of the health and social services team with each family.
"During exchanges with each family, fine details were checked and confirmed until it was established that the bodies in the mortuary matched the descriptions of those who were missing.
"Then, family by family, representatives were taken to the Army Camp where they were asked to confirm the identity of their relatives. This took a long time and for humanitarian and administrative reasons it could not be rushed.
"When requested each family was accompanied to the temporary mortuary by a representative of the health and social services team. Likewise, clergy were also involved.
"At the Camp, the Army had created a chapel of rest and an ante-room in a sports pavilion. With use of flowers, drapes, comfortable chairs and tea and coffee, they created as suitable an environment as possible for the families who came to identify their loved ones.
"On returning to the leisure centre, there were moments of great distress as the news was conveyed to other family members and friends, that, yes indeed the person in the mortuary was their relative.
"Throughout the night information was exchanged between the leisure centre and the hospitals. As new information arrived, names of those who had been admitted were read out, and lists put up on a notice board for people to read.
"Some people who were waiting, received word that their relatives were in fact in hospital, which came initially as a relief, although as we know, many of those in hospital have been badly injured.
"Apart from the sensitive discussions with local families, similar arrangements were set up to facilitate families who had arrived from Buncrana and the co-ordinators accompanying the Spanish visitors.
"In the early hours of the morning we became concerned about the numbers of people who were reported missing. After collating the available information, we counted 55 missing persons, yet there were 28 bodies in the mortuary.
"We were concerned that there may be more people trapped, dead or alive, in the rubble. Whilst the police assured us that searches by dogs trained to find human beings had revealed nothing, our concerns remained.
"In view of our concerns, additional staff were asked to be available, and the hospital was notified, in case more casualties would be found.
"It was not until late Sunday afternoon, that we were confident that no one was unaccounted for. A combination of communication problems caused by the overloading of the Omagh telephone and mobile communication systems, and damage to some telephone cables, and the failure of people to report that their loved ones had turned up, had resulted in the problem.
"With great efforts from the police, the hospitals and the leisure centre staff, we were able to track everyone down or to reassure ourselves that no one else was believed to be missing."
Mr Bolton stated that by late Sunday afternoon all the families had been taken through the process and had left the centre to return home. During the afternoon President Mary McAleese and a number of senior politicians and churchmen had also visited the centre.
"By about 10.00pm things were beginning to settle down and the centre closed its doors to everyone except the families of those who had died and those who had been involved in supporting them. By midnight all was strangely quiet."
The Director of Community Care believed that the leisure complex had been a suitable location for the task that had to be carried out.
"It had all the facilities we required, with plenty of space for privacy. The contribution of leisure centre staff and other council staff was of great importance to the work that was undertaken.
"Their kindness, efficiency and initiative was greatly appreciated by all. Likewise, the police undertook a very sensitive task with great concern for accuracy and with regard for the well being of the families of those who were missing.
"The clergy were there throughout the night offering support, providing words of comfort and speaking with the families There were also acts of kindness from people like taxi drivers, who stayed throughout the night to bring family members to and from the centre, free of charge.
"Food and drink were available all night from the catering staff at the centre. The members of the staff of voluntary organisations and the health and social services staff, undertook their work with great sensitivity and concern for those who were going through tragic hours."
Mr Bolton concluded: "Perhaps more than anything, there was community sharing in a tragedy. There were those who were suffering loss and those who had their work to do, all united, either consciously or unconsciously, in this dreadful event."
'Above all else this was a community sharing in tragedy' - David Bolton
A LEADING health official has recounted the traumatic and harrowing events which unfolded in the hours subsequent to the Omagh bombing, when hundreds of frantic people flocked to the town's leisure complex which was used as an incident centre.
David Bolton, Director of Community Care Services with the Sperrin Lakeland Trust, said that it was at around 6.00pm, almost three hours after the blast, that a decision was taken to move the focus for enquiries about those who were missing to the leisure complex.
Immediately a number of staff who had been at the Tyrone County Hospital, including social workers and community nurses, were dispatched to the centre on the Old Mountfield Road.
Over the next 24 hours staff worked with members of voluntary organisations, the centre staff and the police to support those who were making enquiries, to obtain information about missing persons and to assist families through the awful task of describing and later identifying their dead relatives.
Mr Bolton outlined details of the distressing work undertaken at the centre.
"Over the first few hours of the evening nothing seemed to be happening. However, police officers at the centre and colleagues at the Army Camp at which a temporary mortuary had been set up, were drawing together the information about those who were missing and those who had died. Also the police and the Trust agreed the basis on which families would be supported.
"During the evening Trust staff, and the members of the voluntary bodies who together made up the leisure centre team were briefed on the task to be undertaken. Later the clergy were briefed.
"Towards 11.00pm a meeting was held in the centre for those families who by now almost certainly were facing bad news."
Mr Bolton himself then briefed the families about the process that would be undertaken and advised that it would take a number of hours, through into Sunday morning at least.
"One of the most moving moments of those hours in the leisure centre was when together we, the families, clergy, police, members of voluntary organisations, staff from the leisure centre and the health and social services, joined in saying the Lord's Prayer.
"We all knew many would be facing a trail of life changing proportions, and that the events of the next hours would bring many face to face with tragic loss.
"As the night unfolded, information about those who had died reached the centre and we began to link a police officer and two
representatives of the health and social services team with each family.
"During exchanges with each family, fine details were checked and confirmed until it was established that the bodies in the mortuary matched the descriptions of those who were missing.
"Then, family by family, representatives were taken to the Army Camp where they were asked to confirm the identity of their relatives. This took a long time and for humanitarian and administrative reasons it could not be rushed.
"When requested each family was accompanied to the temporary mortuary by a representative of the health and social services team. Likewise, clergy were also involved.
"At the Camp, the Army had created a chapel of rest and an ante-room in a sports pavilion. With use of flowers, drapes, comfortable chairs and tea and coffee, they created as suitable an environment as possible for the families who came to identify their loved ones.
"On returning to the leisure centre, there were moments of great distress as the news was conveyed to other family members and friends, that, yes indeed the person in the mortuary was their relative.
"Throughout the night information was exchanged between the leisure centre and the hospitals. As new information arrived, names of those who had been admitted were read out, and lists put up on a notice board for people to read.
"Some people who were waiting, received word that their relatives were in fact in hospital, which came initially as a relief, although as we know, many of those in hospital have been badly injured.
"Apart from the sensitive discussions with local families, similar arrangements were set up to facilitate families who had arrived from Buncrana and the co-ordinators accompanying the Spanish visitors.
"In the early hours of the morning we became concerned about the numbers of people who were reported missing. After collating the available information, we counted 55 missing persons, yet there were 28 bodies in the mortuary.
"We were concerned that there may be more people trapped, dead or alive, in the rubble. Whilst the police assured us that searches by dogs trained to find human beings had revealed nothing, our concerns remained.
"In view of our concerns, additional staff were asked to be available, and the hospital was notified, in case more casualties would be found.
"It was not until late Sunday afternoon, that we were confident that no one was unaccounted for. A combination of communication problems caused by the overloading of the Omagh telephone and mobile communication systems, and damage to some telephone cables, and the failure of people to report that their loved ones had turned up, had resulted in the problem.
"With great efforts from the police, the hospitals and the leisure centre staff, we were able to track everyone down or to reassure ourselves that no one else was believed to be missing."
Mr Bolton stated that by late Sunday afternoon all the families had been taken through the process and had left the centre to return home. During the afternoon President Mary McAleese and a number of senior politicians and churchmen had also visited the centre.
"By about 10.00pm things were beginning to settle down and the centre closed its doors to everyone except the families of those who had died and those who had been involved in supporting them. By midnight all was strangely quiet."
The Director of Community Care believed that the leisure complex had been a suitable location for the task that had to be carried out.
"It had all the facilities we required, with plenty of space for privacy. The contribution of leisure centre staff and other council staff was of great importance to the work that was undertaken.
"Their kindness, efficiency and initiative was greatly appreciated by all. Likewise, the police undertook a very sensitive task with great concern for accuracy and with regard for the well being of the families of those who were missing.
"The clergy were there throughout the night offering support, providing words of comfort and speaking with the families There were also acts of kindness from people like taxi drivers, who stayed throughout the night to bring family members to and from the centre, free of charge.
"Food and drink were available all night from the catering staff at the centre. The members of the staff of voluntary organisations and the health and social services staff, undertook their work with great sensitivity and concern for those who were going through tragic hours."
Mr Bolton concluded: "Perhaps more than anything, there was community sharing in a tragedy. There were those who were suffering loss and those who had their work to do, all united, either consciously or unconsciously, in this dreadful event."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0157
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
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