A woman has spoken out about her narrow escape from death during the 1996 IRA Manchester bombing, revealing she was by a window just before it was blown through by the force of the explosion. Samantha Shaw, who was 29 at the time, was working at a Halifax bank on Cross Street, approximately 229 metres from where the 1,500kg fertiliser-based bomb detonated.
Ms Shaw, originally from Cheshire, recounted that she and a colleague were on the first floor of the bank on Saturday, 15 June 1996. They had been standing by the windows when, moments later, the blast hit. She believes that had they remained there for any longer, the five inches of glass that became embedded in the wall would have been impaled in her body. Despite following internal procedures to mark their presence, they were overlooked during the evacuation, with Ms Shaw learning later that an L-shaped office layout meant they were not spotted through a glass-panelled door.
The former bank manager described the explosion as an 'out-of-body experience', characterised by an 'immense suction' that felt like it was 'sucking the life out of the room'. She was thrown by the force of the blast but was initially deemed 'okay' by emergency service officials at Manchester Town Hall. Ms Shaw then walked home to Reddish, only realising the full extent of her injuries the following day, prompting her to visit Manchester Royal Infirmary, where she was advised to take painkillers and sent home.
Nearly three decades on, the 59-year-old continues to live with the profound impact of the bombing. She suffers from chronic neck pain, hearing loss in both ears requiring hearing aids, memory loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ms Shaw expressed concern that her PTSD was only identified by the South East Fermanagh Foundation charity, which she praised for its 'phenomenal' support, suggesting it should have been picked up during earlier counselling sessions.
Ms Shaw was off work for six months following the incident and states that the experience irrevocably changed her. She describes herself as no longer the 'effervescent young woman' she once was, highlighting how the event 'completely changed my life'. The 1996 bombing involved a Ford cargo van packed with explosives, parked on Corporation Street. A warning call was made to Granada TV studios at 09:43 BST, leading to the evacuation of an estimated 80,000 people before the bomb detonated at 11:17 BST, injuring over 200 individuals.
Her testimony serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting human cost of such acts of terrorism and the critical need for comprehensive, sustained support for victims beyond immediate physical treatment.