Emergency services could not cope with Summerland tragedy

Fri, 02 Aug 2013

Emergency services who responded to the Summerland disaster 40 years ago weren’t properly equipped to deal with the situation.

That’s the view of journalist Terry Cringle who reported from the scene on the day the leisure complex set fire in 1973.

He was one of two freelance reporters who found themselves covering the story of the biggest fire on Manx record.

Around 3,000 holidaymakers and locals were in the building as the fire spread rapidly.

Terry says the Island had seen nothing like it before:

(Play audio below):