POLICE IN Northern Ireland are calling for anyone present during the tragic crush at a St Patrick’s Day disco in Co. Tyrone that left three teenagers dead to come forward.
The appeal comes as the authorities begin their investigation into the stampede that occurred at Greenvale hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone while hundreds were waiting to enter the venue in cold, wet conditions on Sunday night, March 17th.
A 17-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy died while three other teenagers were treated for injuries. The three teens have since been identified as Connor Currie, Lauren Bullock and Morgan Barnard.
Preliminary investigations conducted by police indicate the crush occurred around the front door of the hotel, where some people fell over.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd has called on witnesses to come forward.
Police said preliminary investigations appeared to show there was a crush towards the front door of the hotel, and some people seemed to have fallen.
“I can understand that there may be some reluctance to contact police if you are underage, but please do not be concerned,” he said [via The Guardian].
“We are investigating the deaths of three young people, young people just like you. That is our focus. We want to be able to give their families answers and your recollection of the events as they unfolded is crucial.”
Police are also appealing for anyone with images of footage from the event that could prove useful to their investigation to come forward.
“We are interested in mobile phone videos, vehicle dash-cam footage and photos of the incident as well as any other information which may help the investigation,” the appeal said.
The authorities have set up a private link that will allow users to submit pictures and video.
