Omagh bombing horrors revealed in hearings ‘will educate on effect of terrorism’
Omagh bombing horrors revealed in hearings ‘will educate on effect of terrorism’
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A focus on the victims and impact of the Omagh bombing will have “important value” in educating others about the “real effect of terrorism”, a public inquiry chairman has said. Bereaved families and survivors have gathered at the Strule Arts Centre in the Co Tyrone town for the inquiry which will examine whether the atrocity could reasonably have been prevented by UK authorities.
Some 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins were killed in the Real IRA bomb attack in the Co Tyrone town on August 15, 1998. The names of all those killed in the bombing were read out at the public inquiry into the atrocity on Tuesday morning before all those assembled were invited to stand for a minute’s silence in remembrance.
Commemorative and personal statement hearings will be heard over the next four weeks. These will begin with bereaved families giving pen portrait evidence of those who died, followed by survivors, emergency services and those working in statutory organisations.
The first commemorations heard will be of Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, and Rocio Abad Ramo, 23, two Spanish tourists killed in the bombing. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the attack, said the focus on victims will “bring humanity” to proceedings.
Scottish judge Lord Turnbull, who is overseeing the probe, said he hopes all who support such acts of violence will learn of the actual indiscriminate and devastating consequences. “Those beyond Omagh who listen and watch will, as I was, be shocked at the level of grief imposed on ordinary decent members of society doing nothing other than living their daily lives,” he said.
