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| St Patrick's Day: Three dead at Cookstown hotel event | St Patrick's Day: Three dead at Cookstown hotel event |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Three teenagers have died at a St Patrick's Day party at a hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone. | |
| A 17-year-old girl and two boys aged 16 and 17 died following reports of a crush outside the Greenvale Hotel on Sunday night. | |
| A number of other teenagers have also been treated in hospital. | A number of other teenagers have also been treated in hospital. |
| The police said a large group of young people had been waiting to get into a disco at about 21:30 GMT. One of the teenagers died at the scene. | |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ass Ch Con Mark Hamilton said: "It is heartbreaking that an event which should have been fun for these youngsters on St Patrick's night should end in such a terrible tragedy." | Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ass Ch Con Mark Hamilton said: "It is heartbreaking that an event which should have been fun for these youngsters on St Patrick's night should end in such a terrible tragedy." |
| Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's Medical Director Dr Nigel Ruddell said: "Everything points towards it being a tragic accident." | Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's Medical Director Dr Nigel Ruddell said: "Everything points towards it being a tragic accident." |
| "It was clearly a very distressing scene for all those who were caught up in the midst of it," he added. | "It was clearly a very distressing scene for all those who were caught up in the midst of it," he added. |
| He thanked ambulance crews who worked through the night despite having dealt with "a very difficult situation". | |
| The hotel was hosting a party for young people to celebrate St Patrick's Day. | The hotel was hosting a party for young people to celebrate St Patrick's Day. |
| Paramedics, doctors and five emergency crews were dispatched to the venue at about 21:30. | |
| In a Facebook post at 22:41 GMT, the police asked parents to collect their children from the hotel immediately. | In a Facebook post at 22:41 GMT, the police asked parents to collect their children from the hotel immediately. |
| Mr Hamilton said the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service had received a 999 call on Sunday night with reports of people injured outside the hotel. | Mr Hamilton said the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service had received a 999 call on Sunday night with reports of people injured outside the hotel. |
| They declared it a major incident and police, the fire Service and environmental health staff then also attended the scene. | They declared it a major incident and police, the fire Service and environmental health staff then also attended the scene. |
| "Police arrived within two minutes of the call from the ambulance service and quickly secured the scene," he said. | "Police arrived within two minutes of the call from the ambulance service and quickly secured the scene," he said. |
| "We made an urgent appeal via social media to parents of the young people to come and collect them from a Friends and Family Centre which was established in the nearby Glenavon Hotel. | "We made an urgent appeal via social media to parents of the young people to come and collect them from a Friends and Family Centre which was established in the nearby Glenavon Hotel. |
| "Our investigation is at an early stage, and while the exact cause of the incident is still unknown, there are reports of a crush at the scene and initial enquiries indicate that a large group of young people were waiting to enter a disco. | "Our investigation is at an early stage, and while the exact cause of the incident is still unknown, there are reports of a crush at the scene and initial enquiries indicate that a large group of young people were waiting to enter a disco. |
| "We also have reports of some fighting after the incident commenced and at least one person has reported that they were assaulted." | "We also have reports of some fighting after the incident commenced and at least one person has reported that they were assaulted." |
| 'Felt sick' | |
| Mr Hamilton said police were continuing to interview people who were at the party to establish the full facts and appeal to anyone who witnessed what happened to contact police. | Mr Hamilton said police were continuing to interview people who were at the party to establish the full facts and appeal to anyone who witnessed what happened to contact police. |
| A representative of the nearby Glenavon Hotel said the PSNI borrowed its defibrillator. | A representative of the nearby Glenavon Hotel said the PSNI borrowed its defibrillator. |
| Emma Heatherington, of Donaghmore, whose two sons, aged 17 and 18, had been at the event, said she "felt sick" when she saw the police appeal. | Emma Heatherington, of Donaghmore, whose two sons, aged 17 and 18, had been at the event, said she "felt sick" when she saw the police appeal. |
| "My two boys were there so I rang them, shaking, and thankfully got them both," she said. | "My two boys were there so I rang them, shaking, and thankfully got them both," she said. |
| "They said there was a huge crowd waiting to get into the venue and then a lot of commotion up near the front of the queue, then they said the emergency services arrived and they were all asked to leave. | "They said there was a huge crowd waiting to get into the venue and then a lot of commotion up near the front of the queue, then they said the emergency services arrived and they were all asked to leave. |
| "They came home very, very shaken with rumours that some people had died." | "They came home very, very shaken with rumours that some people had died." |
| Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill, whose Assembly seat of Mid Ulster partly covers Tyrone, tweeted: "Heartbreaking news coming from Cookstown tonight. A parent's worst nightmare." | Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill, whose Assembly seat of Mid Ulster partly covers Tyrone, tweeted: "Heartbreaking news coming from Cookstown tonight. A parent's worst nightmare." |
| Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster tweeted that her "thoughts and prayers" were "with everyone impacted by this tonight". | Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster tweeted that her "thoughts and prayers" were "with everyone impacted by this tonight". |
| Speaking from outside the hotel, UUP councillor Trevor Wilson said: "I'm getting conflicting reports from people about what exactly happened, but there's clearly a deep sense of shock here tonight that an event for young people just wanting to celebrate St Patrick's night went so horribly wrong." | Speaking from outside the hotel, UUP councillor Trevor Wilson said: "I'm getting conflicting reports from people about what exactly happened, but there's clearly a deep sense of shock here tonight that an event for young people just wanting to celebrate St Patrick's night went so horribly wrong." |
| Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said on Sunday night: "We are monitoring the situation closely and echo the PSNI appeal to parents to make contact with their children and collect them immediately from the venue." | Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said on Sunday night: "We are monitoring the situation closely and echo the PSNI appeal to parents to make contact with their children and collect them immediately from the venue." |