15/07/2016 BBC Newsline

People from here caught up in the horrific events in Nice last

night have been speaking of their terror and panic.

The attack on the city's Bastille Day celebrations left 84

dead and scores injured, including an Irish man who is said

Fireworks on a sunny summer evening in Nice. This couple were running

for their lives, with thousands of others. I look up the street and the

next thing I saw was this lorry coming down. The promenade was

jam-packed with people. This lorry just mounted the curb, across the

street from us. And the next thing, all you could hear was crying and

shouting and screaming. I have never seen fear like it in all my life and

probably never will again. It was the softest of targets for an attack

- families with children, locals and tourists, packed tightly together

along the promenade, as a man drove a 20 tonne lorry directly at the

crowd, killing indiscriminately. This Belfast business person was

eating in a hotel restaurant nearby. People were jumping all over the

place, pandemonium, people running up and down. People were not sure

what was going on, until a few minutes later, when we were led to

believe it was a terrorist attack holeable with direct flights from

Belfast and Dublin, Nice is a popular destination for families

like this one from Ballyclare. They were leaving the beach after the

fireworks when they realised something was terribly wrong. We

crossed the road and all of a sudden we heard, everybody started

shouting, running, screaming, people will hold their children and crying.

Basically I grabbed our children and we just started running, following

the crowd. We were all terrified. The death toll now stands at 84. The

Irish government says it is concerned that an Irishman has been

caught up in the attack. One British national has also been injured.

Airlines have urged any holiday-makers who want to change

their plans to contact them. But one woman from Belfast who was on the

beach last night when the attack happened says the city is safe. It

has not put me off staying here. We are here until Tuesday and I am not

making any plans to go home early. I would say for anyone coming out

here, don't let it put you off. There is a strong police presence

and they are taking every precaution they can. Franz Hazlett tired three

days of national mourning, as police and security services begin the task

of working out how and why this attack was able to take place. --

France has declared. Well, this evening,

Belfast City Hall is lit up in the colours of the French flag

as a mark of solidarity. And some of those who witnessed

the terrible scenes on the French Riviera last night

have been returning home to Ireland. For this man and his family, it was

a huge relief to be back in Dublin. He had been close to the attack as

it happened. We were in a cafe, my wife and two kids had come back from

the promenade. I saw the white truck driver straight past. It was mowing

people down. It was chaos, people started running left, right and

centre, ducking for cover, trying to get down, people going into the

backs of cafes, just devastation. The devastation he described was too

horrific to broadcast. He is just relieved his children did not see

it. Also on the flight from Nice this afternoon was James Brown,

another Irishman who was also close to the attack. He said it all

happened in a matter of minutes. The truck flew by. I said to my wife,

God, that's travelling at a terrible speed. There was thousands of

people. And then I look and there were just bodies, a trail of bodies.

Young, old... So we ran in that direction, to runaway. And as we

started to run, we heard the gunshots. It was crystal clear that

they were gunshots. The fireworks had finished. James cut his holiday

short, and like so many of those on today's flight, was just glad to be

back. This evening, City Hall in Belfast is lit up in the colours of

the French flag to show solidarity. A book of condolence will open on

Monday. On his first full day

as the new Secretary of State, James Brokenshire has been talking

about his priorities. He says he plans to get the best

deal possible for Northern Ireland in the Brexit negotiations

and he hopes there won't be I have already had conversations

with Frances Fitzgerald, the Irish Interior Minister, to really

emphasise the need for good close collaboration and working, so that

we can ensure that we are not seeing the return of borders coming into

place. I believe there is a really strong commit and from both

governments to achieve that. Clearly that is one of the priority items

that I will be taking forward. Police are treating the death

of a woman in Newtownards as suspicious, and are

appealing for information. The body of 33-year-old

Joanne Thompson, a mother of four, was found at her home

in Old Mill Court by a family member The police want to hear from anyone

who witnessed any disturbance or altercation at the 11th night

bonfire in the West Winds estate, or saw activity around her home

on Tuesday night. It has been a challenging day

for the world's best golfers at the Open Championship

at Royal Troon. Ireland's four major champions

Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Padraig

Harrington all made the halfway cut, but as Stephen Watson reports,

they are all well off the pace. On the tee, from Northern Ireland,

Rory McIlory! Broomstick began the day with much expectation, and in

wet and windy conditions, got off to a fine start. He produced three

excellent birdies in his first seven holes. But mistakes crept in as the

round progressed. Kilroy's Potter started to let him down. Though he

did rally and bounce back with another birdie. -- McIlory's putter.

He is still eight shots off the lead. It is the open championship.

The last one I played I got the good end of the draw, and good things

happened. This year it is not so much, but I'm not going to let being

on the wrong side ruin my week. I feel like I have played very well,

and that gives me optimism going into the weekend. I have played the

front nine well, especially. If I can get off to summon the start

tomorrow, get a bit closer to the leaders, play the back nine a little

bit better, you never know. Darren Clarke had this brilliant shot at

the 18th hole to set up a birdie and secure his place for the weekend. He

is 11 shots off the pace. Graeme McDowell just made the cut, three

shots further back. So, Northern Ireland's Major champions with a lot

of work to do if they are to have any chance of mounting an Open

challenge over the weekend. In the League of Ireland Premier division

tonight, Derry City were in action, and they beat Longford town 4-0. It

is a result which leaves them third in the league table.

Now with the weekend weather forecast, here's Angie Philips.

We had some very humid air over us today.

25 Celsius at one point in County Down.

It will be turning a little bit fresher through the weekend.

There will be patchy rain here and there,

There will be a good deal of dry weather.

It will turn drier through the second half

And less humid, with lows around 9 or 10 degrees.

Tomorrow, patchy rain for some parts, mainly later in the day.

Lots of dry weather in the morning, with bright intervals.

This dry slot extends into southern and eastern Scotland.

That band of rain this evening edges south into the Republic of Ireland,

To the south of that, some very warm and humid air,

To the north of that band, it is fresher air

Showers in Scotland, and also possibly affecting northern

parts of Northern Ireland later in the afternoon.

But mainly patchy. Elsewhere, especially towards the south, it

stays dry. Not as warm as today. First to average, and it should feel

fairly present. It is likely that the rain will linger tomorrow night

in the north. It clears away on Sunday morning. Sunday should be

mainly dry for many of us. Warmer into next week.

Our next BBC Newsline is at five to six tomorrow evening.

You can also keep updated with News Online and Radio Ulster.