Two friends who were injured in the Omagh bombing describe learning that the other had survived.
Rachel Galbraith and Kate Walls were both injured after being caught up in the Omagh bomb in 1998Two friends, Kate Walls and Rachel Galbraith, were treated in different hospitals after being caught up in
The women have recounted how, a few days after the blast, nurses put phones by their hospital beds and the two got to hear each other's voice and realise the other had also survived."It's the same for me - I cried, I was so relieved," Rachel added. On 15 August 1998, Rachel had been working in the County Tyrone town and Kate had come to meet her as she had an appointment in Omagh that day."I'm going to miss my appointment, I tell you what - I'm going to go home."
Then, at 15:10 BST, that Saturday afternoon, the bomb - which had been left in a car in the centre of the town - exploded.Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed by the device planted by the dissident republican Real IRA.Rachel is still having operations, while Kate lost a leg and has had several more amputations since."The fact the two of us were in it together meant we understood each other," Rachel explained.
When both women are speaking about this - it's notable that they sound like sisters - finishing each other's sentences, placing reassuring touches on each other's forearms.
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