Scotland mourns victims of care home fire

Special prayers are being said across Scotland for the victims of a fire at a care home in Uddingston, near Glasgow on Saturday night. Twelve elderly residents of Rosepark Nursing Home have now died. On Sunday, the Catholic Bishop of Motherwell, Rt Rev Joseph Devine led a special Mass at St Columba's Church for the victims, their families and for "distraught care staff". Speaking afterwards Bishop Devine said the tight-knit community had been "devastated". He said: "People have felt it deeply. You can see the terrible sense of shock and tragedy about the whole thing because for such a small fire to produce such catastrophic effects is unimaginable really." Bishop Devine said many friends and family of the victims were in the congregation, including two sisters of a woman who died. He said: "The service is a help but a lot more care and attention will be needed for those with such a terrible sense of shock." Bishop Devine said he knew the family who run the home, Tom and Ann Balmer and the father of Tom and his wife, "extremely well". Two priests had stayed and died at the home in the past and were well cared for, he added. "I imagine the care staff of Rosepark will be traumatised, not least because that home has enjoyed a very high reputation in terms of its care and staff standards." A sea of floral tributes and candles have been laid at the scene of the fire in remembrance of the people who lost their lives.