Sgt Trevor Irvine told the hearing that he was in a mobile unit in Newtownstewart when the bomb alert came over the radio, and he drove at speed towards Omagh in case extra help was required.
He joined in efforts to clear premises, and when the bomb exploded in Market Street he ran towards the scene. He was met by a crowd of people coming towards him, many screaming and many with blood on their clothes.
He saw the smoking remains of the car which appeared to have contained the bomb. "All around it there were people lying on the ground. Some were attempting to move, while others appeared dead."
He recognised a man from Newtownstewart standing in the middle of the street, naked except for his underpants. He asked the man if he was hurt, but he was more concerned with his fiancee, who was lying on the street with severe injuries.
Sgt Irvine said that he pulled debris away and saw a dark-haired girl of 13 to 15 years who showed signs of life. He used a large teddy bear to support her head. Using a shelf as a makeshift stretcher, he and others carried this girl down the street and shortly afterwards put her into a van, still on the makeshift stretcher.
The witness told of inquiring unsuccessfully at the hospital and at Omagh Leisure Centre for news of Debra-Ann Cartright, the daughter of an RUC colleague. However, "at around 11.30 p.m., as a result of information received, I broke the news to Const Cartright that his daughter, Debra-Ann, had been killed in the explosion."
The coroner, Mr Leckey, commented: "That must have been an absolutely dreadful task for you, to break the news."
Witness: "It was."
Sgt Peter Salter said he was in a mobile unit at Omagh RUC station, waiting to travel to Kilkeel for duty at a band parade, when he was informed of the bomb scare at 14.40 hours.
The warning was that a bomb had been left at Omagh courthouse.
He and colleagues were tasked to assist at John Street, adjacent to Sally O'Brien's bar.
He was just at the courthouse when the explosion happened and he went to the scene with his crew and first aid kit to try to give assistance.
There were about 200 people in Market Street at this point, he said, and many had injuries, ranging from severe shock and lacerations to the head, chest and stomach. Most of those he believed to be dead were lying on the right-hand side of the roadway.
There was a large crater in the roadway, and water from a broken main was flowing down the street and over several bodies.
Belongings of victims were strewn on the street. These included handbags, shoes, clothing and prams, along with parts of human bodies.
Sgt Salter said he gave what assistance he could to the wounded. After about 30 minutes the majority of the injured had been conveyed to hospital by a combination of ambulances, buses, cars and police Land-Rovers.
He related how he then assisted in removing the deceased, after each in turn was pronounced dead by a military doctor. With other police officers, he wrapped them in sheets and curtains and took them to an arcade. They included adults, youths, and children of both sexes.
Many were horribly mutilated, and as he attempted to lift some bodies they came apart in his hands. The last one was a male, who was found decapitated in S.D. Kells's shop.
Replying to Mr Michael Mansfield QC, representing the family of Elizabeth Rush, the witness said he could not recall whether or not his police vehicle had on board a public address system. Some units were fitted with this and some were not; some systems were operative and some were not.
Mr Stephen Ritchie, representing the RUC Chief Constable, objected to this line of questioning, suggesting that it was unrelated to the central issue, which was: by what means did these people meet their deaths?
The coroner, however, said he did not agree. The ascertaining of facts about a public address system seemed unobjectionable to him.
In further replies to Mr Mansfield, the witness agreed that the transcript of police radio communications indicated that his unit was still at the station, waiting to be tasked, at about 14.51 hours, some 11 minutes after hearing of the bomb warning.
The hearing was adjourned until this morning.