RELATIVES and friends of victims of the Stockline disaster will join survivors, rescue workers and members of the local community to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend a service at Maryhill Community Central Halls on May 11, a decade after the blast at the plastics factory in Hopehill Road, Glasgow.
Nine people died and dozens were injured when an explosion on May 11, 2004, caused the four-storey factory to collapse. Annette Doyle, Peter Ferguson, Thomas McAulay, Tracy McErlane, Ann Trench, Stewart McColl, Margaret Brownlie, Kenneth Murray and Tim Smith all lost their lives.
Gary Gentles, development services manager of Maryhill Community Central Halls, is organising the commemoration. A service will take place at 3pm and candles will be lit for the nine people who died.
Mr Gentles, 52, who helped set up a centre for families at the community halls following the tragedy, said: "We are inviting people to come from around 1.30pm to have some tea or coffee and get together.
"This is about remembering the people who lost their lives, thinking about the survivors and the emergency services. Although it was 10 years ago it does still feel like it was yesterday."
A memorial garden was set up in Grovepark Street by ICL Plastics Ltd, which owned the factory, in 1997.
Mr Gentles said the community and families were moving on but Stockline would never be forgotten.
"Every year we have a book of condolence open and we'll always do that," he said.
Community members also hope to take over the running of the memorial garden.
Local councillor Martin McElroy, 26, said: "People get in touch to say they still remember the events of 10 years ago clearly. The service has almost become part of the process of moving on."
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