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Memorials taking place in England one week on from air show tragedy

Memorials for the victims of the Shoreham air show crash are taking place in Britain exactly a we...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.44 29 Aug 2015


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Memorials taking place in Engl...

Memorials taking place in England one week on from air show tragedy

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.44 29 Aug 2015


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Memorials for the victims of the Shoreham air show crash are taking place in Britain exactly a week on from the tragedy in which 11 people were killed.

A minute's silence was held at 1.20pm - the exact time the Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 road in West Sussex.

Well-wishers are gathering at a wooden toll bridge near the crash site, and later a candlelit vigil will be held at the Adur Ferry Bridge as part of Shoreham’s River Fest event this weekend.

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An earlier silence was held at an air show in Guildford.

It comes after a senior police officer said the remains of some of the victims of the disaster may never be found at the "gruesome" scene.

When asked if that was a possibility, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry said: "That is absolutely the case, and that is one of the reasons why we are so meticulous and so thorough in our gathering of the evidence.

"Because we want to help the families understand as much as they can what happened to their loved ones."

The plane crashed with such force that specialists are having to examine DNA and human remains to find out who was killed.

The pilot, Andy Hill, is in a critical condition and has been moved to a specialist hospital.

A further two victims of the crash have been named as Daniele Polito and Tony Brightwell.

Police Constable Chris Storey – a first responder who witnessed the aftermath of the crash - said the scene was "horrendous" as the smell of jet fuel hung in the air.

"It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It's the sort of thing you see in a film," he told Sky News.

"There were lots of damaged vehicles, lots of debris everywhere, lots of damage to the trees and bushes along the southern side of the scene, lots of damage to street furniture - traffic lights and signs and barriers."

He said the only thing he could hear as he took in the devastation in front of him was the sirens from the fire engines.

He said he had thought about the crash every day since.

The A27 road remains shut, although it is hoped it will reopen on Monday. An interim report into the crash is expected to be released in the next few days.

A memorial service for the dead is planned for the end of September, with an exact date and location set to be announced soon.


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