A DOCUMENTARY marking the 25th anniversary of the Lockerbie tragedy – when a Pan Am flight exploded in the skies over the town – is to be broadcast by STV.
Says the broadcaster of the hour-long documentary, which will be transmitted on the 17th of next month at 9.30pm, it is to feature “eyewitness testimony with unique archive footage to tell the story of what happened”.
The tragedy claimed the lives of all 259 passengers and crew on board the plane, on a non-stop transatlantic flight between London and New York. 11 Lockerbie residents also died.
Adds STV: “Footage from STV’s news archives, including some material that has never previously been broadcast, is combined with first-hand testimonies from local residents who relive the events of 21st December 1988 on camera in their own words.
“The documentary also hears from four families of American victims of the tragedy and members of the emergency services who responded to the disaster.”
Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels at STV, is quoted, as saying: “This brand new documentary includes the first-hand accounts of some Lockerbie residents who have never spoken on camera before and through their stories, and that of many others involved, builds a definitive account of what happened 25 years ago. The Lockerbie Bombing tells a story of a night in Scottish history that should be remembered and this is a timely tribute.”
Alan Clements, director of content for STV and executive producer of The Lockerbie Bombing, is also quoted, as saying: “I was working in the BBC newsroom in 1988 and was on site at Lockerbie within a few hours of the plane coming down. We worked through the night to put the breakfast news on air and the experience of being in that small town as the full extent of the tragedy unfolded is one that I will never forget. It is an honour that the people involved in this programme have allowed us to tell their story and I hope it is a story that will never be forgotten.”
The Lockerbie Bombing is produced by STV Productions for STV and Smithsonian. The documentary will be also broadcast on ITV on Tuesday, December 17 at 11pm.
