THERE were no smoke alarms in the accommodation block at the British army base in Magherafelt, Co Derry, where four Royal Irish Regiment soldiers died in a fire nearly two years ago, an inquest heard yesterday.
One of the soldiers billeted in the block, Private Peter Nigel Evans, said that to the best of his knowledge there was no emergency lighting or signs highlighting the exits from the block.
The inquest was into the deaths of Privates Glen McGowan (29), Bushmills, Co Antrim; Rodney Tosh (21), Coleraine, Co Derry and William Salters (23), from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. The other soldier, Adrian Rogers (24), from Ahoghill, Co Antrim died in hospital two weeks later.
Private Evans described how after getting up to go to the toilet after 2 a.m. on April 30th 1994, he smelt plastic burning and on seeing smoke raised the alarm.
He began searching for occupants but was unable to continue because of thick smoke. "I saw several people running about", he said. "I saw a scene of panic. There were several of my colleagues using fire extinguishers; but no one really seemed to know what was going on."
The soldier told of seeing two or three people carrying and dragging out Private Rogers, who had severe burns on his whole body.
The Northern Ireland State Pathologist, Prof Jack Crane, said the bodies of two of the soldiers, Privates Tosh and Salters, were badly charred and identification had to be confirmed from dental records.
The jury heard how the portacabin type wooden units were surrounded on three sides by a concrete blast wall for protection against possible mortar attack.
Upwards of 50 witnesses are expected to give evidence over the three day hearing.