N. IRELAND: JOHN PRESCOTT CONDEMNS OMAGH BOMBING ATTACK

(16 Aug 1998) English/Nat British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has resoundly condemned the bombing attack in the Northern Irish town of Omagh. The Saturday afternoon attack has left 28 dead and over 200 injured. Prime Minister Tony Blair has cut short his summer holiday in France to fly to Northern Ireland - which is reeling from the worst bomb attack in 30 years of the troubles. It is the worst bomb attack Northern Ireland has seen in thirty years. Twenty-eight people died here in Omagh - 200 more injured. Now with the hunt on to find the perpetrators - security is high and anger is burning through the streets of the market town. Killed in Saturday's blast were 13 women, six men, and nine children, including a baby girl and several teenagers. Twenty of the 28 have not yet been formally identified. The dead included Protestants and Catholics. The attack coincided with the 29th anniversary of the deployment of British troops in Belfast, a traditional rallying point for Irish Republican Army supporters. It also came several weeks before President Clinton is to visit Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland's historic peace accord. No group claimed responsibility for planting the 500-pound bomb in Omagh, which was crowded with weekend shoppers and families attending a festival. But politicians unanimously blamed IRA dissidents who hope to shatter the 13-month-old truce and the peace agreement it helped inspire. Among the politicians condemning the attack is British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who went to visit people injured by the blast. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Yes, one of the patients did say to me how much he felt that 'what did his eleven-year-old boy done against anybody' to have suffered in such a tremendous manner and we absolutely agree with him and of course all of us want to see peace in Northern Ireland. There's nobody that doesn't want to see that except this minority group that want to do everything to thwart the will of the people of Northern Ireland to see peace here. But here at the hospital it's about just identifying with them, wishing well and congratulating the hospital for all they do to help people in these terrible circumstances." SUPERCAPTION: British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott Back at the blast site - soldiers and investigation teams are already hard at work trying to fit together pieces of the puzzle to find the perpetrators. SOUNDBITE: (English) "In terms of resources the chief constable has made it abundantly clear that there is no limit to resources - they're infinite as far as this investigation is concerned and I can assure that that is the case and as the investigation grows - and gets bigger - then I can assure you that we will be taking resources in as required." SUPERCAPTION: Chief Superintendent Eric Robinson A local shop owner - who was out of town at the time of the blast - returned home upon hearing of several deaths in his store. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I spoke to a member of staff this morning and she was serving a lady for a pair of shoes - and went off to get the item. When she got back the lady was dead and the little eighteen month old baby and her mother and grandmother - all four were lying together - but either seven or eight were dead in our shop." SUPERCAPTION: Roy Kells, Shop Owner As the investigation and clean-up efforts get underway - local churches are helping people to come to terms with the deadly blow struck by the bombers. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPERCAPTION: Father Michael Keavney, St Joseph's, Omagh Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...