Скачать или смотреть N. IRELAND: BRITAIN'S PRINCE CHARLES VISITS OMAGH (2)

(18 Aug 1998) English/Nat

The Republican dissident group calling itself the Real I-R-A says it planted the car bomb that killed 28 people and injured over 200 in Omagh on Saturday.

Britain's Prince Charles visited the Northern Ireland market town himself to see the destruction for himself and to reach out to some of those caught in the devastating blast.

The Prince toured the bomb site with Britain's minister for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, and laid flowers at the growing tribute for the dead.

Earlier, he had spent the morning visiting the injured survivors who were convalescing at the Royal Air Force base at Aldergrove near Belfast.

Shortly after the first of many funerals for the 28 people murdered in Saturday's terrorist bombing, Prince Charles arrived in Omagh to see first hand the damage left in the wake of Saturday's deadly bombing.

The Prince of Wales, accompanied Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, toured the site of the bombing that shocked the province last weekend and threw the peace process into question.

The Republican dissident group the so called Real I-R-A, a splinter group of the Provisional faction, have admitted to detonating the device on a busy market day.

The attack has renewed fears in the British-ruled province just four months after the historic peace agreement that now stands in peril.

Charles added a bouquet of flowers to the dozens already left at the site to remember the victims.

Earlier in the day, Charles visited the medical centre at R-A-F Aldergrove in Belfast where he paid tribute to the emergency services who dealt with the aftermath.

Over 100 victims injured in the blast remain in hospital, eight in critical condition.

In total, more than 220 people were injured - both Protestants and Catholics hurt by a 500-pound (200 kg) bomb that did not discriminate by religion.

The Prince said he came to Omagh to show support and sympathy for the victims and emergency services alike.

The atrocity brought back for him sad memories of the assassination of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, who was blown up by I-R-A terrorists in 1979.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
Q. Can we ask you for your thoughts on this visit and what happened?
"Well obviously I'm as appalled and shattered as so many other people are in this country and elsewhere about the horrifying disaster and tragedy on Saturday. The least I can do is come here and show my sympathy and support in particular for those who've carried the worst of the burden in looking after everybody, but we are so lucky to have such wonderful security forces and emergency services and doctors and the nurses and all these people, it makes such a huge difference when these desperate tragedies happen."
Q. Does your mind go back ten years to when you were here for the Enniskillen bombing ?
"It does indeed and back 20.....19 years when Lord Mountbatten was killed, so I do have some understanding of the awful horrors people have to put up with when their relatives are killed, so I feel very subdued"
SUPERCAPTION: HRH highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles was given a tour of the devastated shopping street, walking past the blown out shells of once busy shops.

The bomb struck on Saturday morning, tearing through streets that were bustling with people doing their weekend shopping and attending a local carnival.

Charles went on to meet the locals in the town whose spirits seemed to be lifted by his visit.

UPSOUND: (English)
SUPERCAPTION: HRH highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales


Later he was visiting some of the injured in hospital.

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