Eight still in hospital following Lisburn bombings

EIGHT people remained in hospital last night following the bomb attack at Thiepval Barracks, in Lisburn, Co Antrim.

EIGHT people remained in hospital last night following the bomb attack at Thiepval Barracks, in Lisburn, Co Antrim.

They included a man who was caught in both blasts. He is critically ill with extensive burns and may need to have an arm amputated.

A British army spokeswoman confirmed that 38 people were injured in the blasts.

The four most seriously injured are being treated at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, while four others are in the military wing of Musgrave Park Hospital.

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The majority of those injured were army personnel, although the exact figures were not available.

There had been speculation about the identity of the seriously injured male. He was stated yesterday evening to be a soldier. There had been problems contacting his next of kin.

Doctors treating the injured spoke yesterday of their sadness at having, once again, to treat people hurt in bomb explosions.

"To say we are depressed is a fairly accurate way of describing it. In the aftermath of dealing with the emergency there is a feeling of here we go again and now all we can do is sit back and see what happens," said Mr Laurence Rocke, accident and emergency consultant at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

The four most seriously ill patients, three males and one female, all in their 20s, were admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital on Monday evening. They were all unconscious yesterday and in intensive care.

It is believed two of them were military personnel. One had come directly from the site of the explosion while the others were transferred following emergency treatment at the Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn. A fifth victim brought to the hospital had minor injuries.

The critically ill man had significant soft tissue injuries to his left arm, a depressed skull fracture and up to 60 per cent burns to his body. He underwent five hours of surgery on Monday night.

Dr Ken Lowry, consultant anaesthetist at the hospital, said the man had been too ill to have his arm injury treated on Monday, night. His clothes had been blown off in the blast.

Although the female patient suffered a serious head injury she was still conscious on admission to hospital, Mr Rocke confirmed.

Another man was suffering from "blast lung" as a result of being in the vicinity of the explosion and required ventilation on Monday night. Another had a fractured thigh and injuries to the abdomen.

Mr Rocke said it was difficult to tell how close to the blast the victims had been. "But all of these people must have been pretty close. For someone to have significant burns would indicate they were close to the blast.

Dr Lowry said he believed that two of the four patients would make a good recovery without any major disabilities. However, it was too early to say what the prognosis was for the critically ill male and the female with head injuries.

Eight other patients, who were suffering from a variety of lacerations, bruising and concussion, were treated in Musgrave Park Hospital yesterday. Four of them were released yesterday evening.