1.
GV PAN Buildings ablaze (2 shots).
0.8

2.
GV Blazed building being hosed.
0.13

3.
SV PAN Damaged cars with soldiers looking underneath (2 shots).
0.21

4.
CU PAN & CU Home-made bomb in softdrink can(2 shots)
0.27

5.
MV Soldiers examining home-made bomb.
0.30

6.
GV PAN & GV Blazing buildings (3 shots).
0.43



Initials SGM/0151 SGM/0159


TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Belfast was licking its wounds today ( Saturday ) after a night of arson and bombings caused widespread destruction in the Northern Ireland capital's centre.

Several fire outbreaks followed bomb explosions during Friday night and a further explosion was reported from a building housing Government offices on Saturday night.

As the official death toll in the bloody aftermath of the Government's internment policy rose to more than 29, the British Government announced on Saturday that it was to set up an official inquiry into allegations of brutality by British troops on security duty in Northern Ireland.

The decision came after Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Tuzo, General Officer Commanding the British forces in Northern Ireland, met leading Roman Catholic figures in Londonderry on Friday.

This coverage of Friday night's Belfast violence is serviced with the original voice-over by a BBC commentator. The commentary overleaf is a transcript of it.

SYNOPSIS: On Friday night in Belfast several major fires followed explosions in business premises, adding to the already enormous cost in material damage since the latest outburst of violence began. In the aftermath of the explosions, the army is finding new dangers, as the terrorists after leave hidden bombs set to go off with troops on the scene.

This one was discovered underneath a car by a patrol - gelignite packed into a soft-drink can with a fuse that fortunately failed. As that was defused, another went off nearby. As in so many similar incidents, there appeared to be no same motive or reason. The fire which followed gutted a large office and shop block in the City centre.