Man hurt in explosion in North

A man was injured in an explosion at a Territorial Army camp in Derry today.

The incident happened around 7.20am inside the camp on the Limavady Road.

A police spokesman said: “A security operation is now under way and a number of families have been evacuated from their homes.”

DUP East Derry MP Gregory Campbell, who lives about a mile away from the camp where the blast occurred, said he believed a man was seriously injured.

“It appears that there was a device either just inside the camp or on its periphery and it was picked up by a person in the vicinity, who I understand is very seriously injured, and the area is now cordoned off.

“The device did actually explode in his hand as I understand it.”

Mr Campbell drew comparisons between this attack and one on Magilligan camp several months ago.

“I am sure people will recall that at Magilligan camp within the past seven or eight months an almost identical situation occurred as the one that seems to have occurred this morning, where a device was left there and a person who was an employee in the camp picked up the device and received very serious injuries as well on that occasion.”

Mr Campbell called on Tony Blair and the Northern Ireland Secretary to “get real” and realise that there was a massive increase in violence in the province.

“Things are not getting better, violence is increasing rather than just going on and dribbling on,” he added.

An army spokesman confirmed that the injured man was a civilian, rather than military personnel.

He said: “A civilian contractor appears to have been quite seriously injured.”