NI tourist was at train station as Munich massacre unfolded

Jerome Burns, a holidaymaker from Northern Ireland, was at the city’s central train station with his wife at the time.

He told the BBC: “Suddenly we just became aware of an absolute pandemonium on the main station concourse – people just running absolutely everywhere.

“There was panic in their faces - we did not know what to do but immediately one of the security guards came into the office we were in, he closed the door.

“We were all ushered into the back of the office initially and then through a back door and down some back stairs into the basement of the station right down into the actual bowels of the station.

“We obviously were aware that something appeared to be going on because we knew about the attack in the shopping centre.

“There were very few people there that spoke English – there was one gentleman there that was keeping us aware of the situation.

“At that time it was thought there were three attackers and that one of them was in the underground system and was on his way to the station we were in.

“And it seems that is what gave rise to the initial panic.”

Barman Sam Pound, who works in Kilians Irish Bar in Munich, spoke to the BBC shortly after the news of the attack broke.

He was in the middle of an interview describing the atmosphere in the city when his colleague began shouting at punters and staff to move to safety.

“Something is going on right now,” Mr Pound said, who later confirmed to the channel that they were all safe.

Dominik Faust, who lives in Munich, said he was in the centre of the city in another shopping centre at the time of the attack.

He told the BBC: “They were not sure if there was another assassin in downtown Munich and all of a sudden there were people screaming and shouting and running.”

Taking shelter in a store, he said security staff closed the doors and asked them to go up to the fifth floor to the offices of the employees.

“They asked us to stay calm and gave us something to drink,” he said.

Mr Faust said police told the security staff they should keep all 150 people inside until they give the all clear sign as to when they could leave.

“We stayed there for about four hours until about 10pm and there was still no all clear sign,” he added.