Seven casualties in critical condition

Two Spanish children remained in a critical condition with serious brain injuries last night at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital…

Two Spanish children remained in a critical condition with serious brain injuries last night at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.

The number of people detained at the hospital increased yesterday, when two children and a man were transferred from other hospitals. There are 15 women, six men and four children at the hospital, with seven critical, four women, a man, and the two Spanish children.

Eight patients were admitted with head injuries, seven have fractures, six have burns/fractures and four have severe eye injuries. All patients have other injuries. The youngest patient is 13 months old and the eldest is 68 years.

Many of those injured have undergone operations to remove shrapnel and pieces of debris. The Royal Victoria is treating some of those most severely injured in the explosion, which caused loss of limbs, severe facial and body wounds, broken bones and extensive burns.

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The eight casualty patients at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh have undergone several operations to remove multiple pieces of shrapnel embedded in their limbs, chest and abdomen. Some may require plastic surgery at a later stage. All the patients, two men and six women, are described as ill but stable. Two people have been discharged.

A spokeswoman for the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, has paid tribute to the nurses, surgeons and other medical staff from Cavan General Hospital, Monaghan General Hospital and Sligo Hospital who assisted staff in the immediate aftermath of the explosion on Saturday.

"They have been fabulous. The support and kindness have been tremendous. One girl, a nurse, got into her car in Dublin and drove up on Saturday to help. She just arrived, and said, `Right, what do you need me to do, I will do anything'. The staff have been touched by all of this," she said.

A total of 21 patients remain at the hospital, five men, 14 women, a boy and a girl. Four of the patients are ill but stable and the rest are in a stable condition.

The Belfast City Hospital yesterday transferred a Spanish girl, Therese Blanco (15), who has brain injuries, to the Royal Victoria Hospital. They have two casualties, Diane McCann (21) and a 75-year-old woman. Both are in intensive care.