Blast In Belfast

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 13

Blast In Belfast

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) •' BELFAST, February 26. A time-bomb exploded in a Belfast social club early today, injuring five people, one of them seriously. Police and troops called ir reinforcements to control angry Roman Catholics and Protestants incited by the wild rumours that followed the blast. Twenty people were still in the Electrical Workers Social Club, on the third floor of a four-storey buiidint in the centre of Belfast whet the befab went off a few seconds after midnight. The blast knocked every one off his feet as jt rippec a 12ft-wide hole in the floor and completely wrecked th« interior of the club, it Upper Donegal! Street. The blast showered debrii on St Patrick’s Roman Catho tic church across the street and irate Roman Catholic; gathered quickly as rumour; spread thqt it* was a terroris attack on their church. * Conflicting rumours circa lated just as fast that the outlawed Irish Republican Army had Attacked the club and militant Protestants from the Shankill Road district marched to the scene. Police and troops sealed ofl the area and erected barri cades across the street. The explosion was the eleventh in Belfast this year —the last was on Saturday night, when the door of s tavern frequented by Roman Catholics was blown in.