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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| St Patrick's Day: Three dead at Cookstown hotel event | St Patrick's Day: Three dead at Cookstown hotel event |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Three teenagers are now confirmed dead following a St Patrick's Day party at a hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone. | |
| A 17-year-old girl, a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy have died following the incident at the Greenvale Hotel on Sunday night. | |
| Three other teenagers were also treated in hospital. | |
| The police said there were reports of a crush at the scene and inquiries indicated that a large group of young people were waiting to enter a disco. | |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Ass Ch Con Mark Hamilton said: "It is heart-breaking that an event which should have been fun for these youngsters on St Patrick's night should end in such a terrible tragedy." | |
| 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 GMT. | Paramedics, doctors and five emergency crews were dispatched to the venue at about 21:30 GMT. |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| "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. | |
| "We also have reports of some fighting after the incident commenced and at least one person has reported that they were assaulted." | |
| 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. | |
| At the scene | At the scene |
| by Mark Simpson, BBC Newsline | by Mark Simpson, BBC Newsline |
| There is a huge sense of shock around the County Tyrone town. | There is a huge sense of shock around the County Tyrone town. |
| Reports began circulating at 22:00 GMT that people had died. The news of two fatalities was confirmed by police just after midnight. | Reports began circulating at 22:00 GMT that people had died. The news of two fatalities was confirmed by police just after midnight. |
| There were distressing scenes as some people who knew those who died broke down in tears at the police cordon. | There were distressing scenes as some people who knew those who died broke down in tears at the police cordon. |
| 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." |