COMPONENTS USED in the bomb which killed 29 people and unborn twins in Omagh in 1998 were similar to those used in a range of subsequent bomb and mortar threats in Britain and Ireland, a civil action into the atrocity heard yesterday.
Denis McAuley, a senior investigator with Forensic Science Northern Ireland, said there were up to 28 bomb and mortar threats in Northern Ireland, England and the Republic between 1998 and 2004 with components from the same manufacturers' batch used in the Omagh bomb.
The Coupatan brand timer used in the devices' power units had identical factory, product and date codes, the court was told.
Mr McAuley gave a detailed account of how the explosives were constructed and used.
He was speaking on the third day of the hearing at the Belfast High Court where the victims' families are seeking damages from five men: Michael McKevitt, Séamus Daly, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Séamus McKenna.
They deny involvement in the Real IRA bombing.
Mr McAuley told the court the bomb, involving 500lbs of explosives packed in the boot of a Vauxhall Cavalier, would have caused three separate types of injury: blast, thermal and fragmentation.
A blast within the confines of the Market Street site would cause an extreme and sudden rise in pressure.
"It's extremely devastating in a confined area to anybody within that area and buildings surrounding that area," Mr McAuley said.
"The greatest danger from blast alone is to the internal organs and the lungs."
Turning to the "thermal fireball effect", he said a high explosion would cause a quick flash involving extreme temperatures.
"Anyone in the vicinity of the device would be exposed to that high temperature and would sustain extreme burns. You could be talking well in excess of a thousand degrees centigrade." Mr McAuley said the threat to life from both types was restricted to those within 20 metres of the explosion. But fragmentation from the car bomb itself posed further dangers, the court heard.
A piece of booster tube was discovered up to 180 metres from the vehicle, while a part of body-work attached to the seat belt was located at a mill nearly 300 metres away.
During examination of how the mark 19 timer power units used at Omagh and a series of other attacks were constructed, the court was shown photographs of a toggle switch, a plastic lunch box lid, charger and remains of a Coupatan timer retrieved from the scene.
Asked by Lord Brennan QC why the timer knob used to set detonation time would have no markings to assist, Mr McAuley replied: "I would suggest the person causing this event isn't particularly interested in a very specific time."
Later, a witness told the court that she believed she saw some of the bombers parking the car used in the attack.
Ruth Buchannon described the two men who got out of the maroon Vauxhall Cavalier as looking like soldiers.
She said they got out quickly, making her think they were in a hurry.
Her account of what she saw on August 15th, 1998, was read out to the court by Brett Lockhart QC, for the families.
The statement read: "They were approximately six to eight feet away from me as they stood in front of my car.
"As the men stood on the footpath the passenger caught eye contact with myself and grinned at me. He looked calm and relaxed."
The driver, however, appeared to have a serious expression, the court heard.
Ms Buchannon said she left Omagh that day and heard later a bomb had exploded in the town that afternoon.
The case continues.