“It was like a war zone,” says firefighter about scene in Omagh

FIRST responders who were in Omagh in the immediate aftermath of the 1998 bombing today spoke at the public inquiry about the scenes they witnessed.

Paddy Quinn, who was a retained firefighter at the Omagh station 26 years ago and is now station commander, was working in his carpet shop on the Old Mountfield Road when he heard the explosion.

He was part of the first crew of six which were at the scene on Market Street within minutes of the blast.

After arriving at the scene, he recalled that the first person he saw was his mother.

She was sitting on the kerb holding a toothbrush because the shopping bags that she had been holding were blown to shreds.

He said the image the image of a young woman covered in dust reminded him of the Vietnam War.

He described the scene at Market Street that day as ‘total chaos, devastation and carnage’.

“It was like a war zone. I was searching damaged premises. While we searched Libby’s I saw Mrs Rush and I knew she was dead. It was obvious to me. I still think of her family. I just think it was so sad,” he said.

Mr Quinn said that they had continued to search for survivors for three to four hours, and that the firefighters did this with the fear for the safety of their own relatives.

Paramedic Richard Quigley was dispatched to Omagh from Altnagelvin when a code red alert had come into the ambulance station there.

He said that when they arrived on Market Street, it was ‘oddly quiet.’

“No screaming of patients. Evidence of the explosion and a smell,” he said.

“The crews went across into buildings with the other recovery crews made up of police and fire service and ambulance service. The crews went into the scene assisting recovery and searching for casualties.”

Mr Quigley then recounted the harrowing task of removing the remains of the deceased from an entry off Market Street.

“I recall the body bags being in the shop. I physically checked the body bags to see if I could identify which end was the head or legs. What shocked me was not being able to clearly identify the head or the feet.

“Help was needed to remove the remains into the volunteer ambulance on Market Street. I got frustrated and kicked a piece of shrapnel and got told off by a police officer.

“Returning to the carpark, all the vehicles had been loaded with the remains of the body bags.

“We then drove in convoy with lights and silently to the temporary morgue set up in the army camp gymnasium.

“I recall seeing the number of body bags laid out and each had its own area, all in rows with a chair at the end.

“The size of the gym and the number of the body bags on the floor was something that should only have been seen in a movie.”