GARDAI are treating the horrific blast at the petrol station in Co Donegal as a “tragic accident”.
The search and rescue operation has concluded with “no further casualties” expected to be located at the Applegreen in Creeslough.
Ten people, all from the local area, have been confirmed dead after the service station was blown apart yesterday.
Four men, three women, two teens and a little girl of “primary school age” died in the tragedy at the Applegreen petrol station in Creeslough.
A further eight people, including children, have been brought to hospital to be treated for injuries, seven of those are currently in a “stable” condition but one remains “critical” at a Dublin hospital.
Gardai confirmed three fatalities from the explosion last night before confirming a further seven today.
READ MORE IN BLAST HORROR
Tributes have poured in for a teenage girl who was among the 10 people killed in the horror explosion at the petrol station.
Leona Harper, a talented rugby player, lost her life following yesterday’s blast.
Her death was announced by her local rugby club this evening who said she was an “important” part of their U14s team.
Taking to Facebook, Letterkenny Rugby Club said: “We are heartbroken to say our worst fears have been confirmed. Leona Harper tragically lost her life yesterday in Creeslough.”
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Friday afternoon’s blast caused widespread damage to nearby cars and buildings after ripping through the Applegreen service station.
Pictures from the scene show a major collapse at the premises with large amounts of fallen debris, including bricks, and shattered glass, covering the forecourt.
The roof of the forecourt appears to be folded in on a number of cars with walls from above the station appearing to have disappeared completely.
Providing an update in a statement, a Garda spokesman said: “The Garda Technical Bureau have commenced an examination of the scene, with assistance from other expert agencies including the health and safety authority and national utility companies.
LARGEST NUMBER OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIONS IN DECADES IN REGION
“The local Corner and the Office of the State Pathologist have been notified and post-mortem examinations will take place over the coming days.
“Garda Family Liaison Officers have been appointed and are providing support and information to those impacted by this incident. An incident room has been established at Milford Garda Station.
“Traffic diversions on the N56 at the scene of the incident remain in place. No additional information is available at this time. Further updates will follow.”
Gardai said the explosion, which happened just after 3pm yesterday, has resulted in the largest number of civilian casualties seen in decades in the region.
EMERGENCY SERVICES HEROIC EFFORTS
Superintendent Liam Geraghty said: “I can now confirm there are 10 fatalities as a result of the explosion.
“But based on the information available to An Garda Siochana, at this time, it is not expected that there will be any further casualties located, and there are no outstanding reports of unaccounted for persons.
“The 10 casualties are four men, three women, two teenagers – a boy and a girl – and a younger girl.”
John Joe McGowan, chief ambulance officer for the western region of the national ambulance service, said words cannot describe the efforts of emergency personnel.
CHILDREN AMONG THOSE INJURED
He said: “Each and every one of you have gone above and beyond in your response.”
Children are among the injured admitted to hospital following the terrifying explosion, the manager of Letterkenny University Hospital has confirmed.
Letterkenny University Hospital manager Sean Murphy, revealed how they were forced to discharge some patients on Friday to prepare for an expected rush of patients from the blast.
The hospital launched the Emergency Protocol Plan on Friday evening as news of the tragedy broke. It stood down the protocol late on Friday.
COPS TREATING BLAST AS ‘TRAGEDY’
Cops are investigating the blast, that rocked the small village of Creeslough as a “tragedy” but are keeping an “open mind”.
Superintendent David Kelly said: “This is a tragedy for our community. There are families left devastated. I want to offer, on behalf of myself and my colleagues that attended the scene, our very sincere condolences.
“I would like to say as well, and forgive me if I get a bit emotional because you are dealing with the public, at this point in time, we have to keep an open mind in how we investigate this but our information at this point in time is pointing towards a tragic accident.
“That said being a garda, I have to take a holistic and overall viewpoint, but that’s where we are going at the moment. We are following certain investigative angles but for operational reasons, I am not going in to that.”
A moment of silence was held at the press conference at Milford Garda station for the 10 people who died in the explosion.
Donegal Independent councillor John O’Donnell told BBC Radio Ulster that he understands the shocking incident was caused by a gas explosion.
In the chaotic scenes that followed the terrifying explosion, people trapped inside their homes tried to contact loved ones who were fearing the worst.
Emergency services began getting urgent calls shortly after 3pm and raced to the Applegreen outlet. Soon after, three helicopters flew in to aid gardai and paramedics in the battle to save those caught in the suspected gas explosion.
On request, the Coast Guard cleared a helicopter landing zone in Phoenix Park, Dublin, as part of the emergency operation.
LOCALS HELP AT THE SCENE
As news of the explosion swept through the area, locals arrived to help dig through the rubble. Some chunks of masonry had smashed on to cars while windows in buildings were blown to bits.
The service station was located at the entrance to the village in a complex with a number of other businesses, including a hairdressing salon. Several families are housed in apartments above the business.
Large parts of the facade of the complex were ripped off with roofs and solar blankets to victims panels falling into the rubble. Inside, passersby could see beds and pictures on walls.
The time of the horror explosion coincided with the return home of schoolchildren, many of whom finish early on a Friday afternoon.
‘COULDN’T BELIEVE THE POWER OF IT’
One man who lives a kilometre from the scene said he was thrown from his seat as he worked at his desk.
He said: “I couldn’t believe the power of it and I didn’t know what had happened. We drove into town and it was just carnage.
“There was no ambulances or gardai at the scene because it had literally just happened. I saw one person on the ground and they looked as if they were dead.
“Miraculously we saw another man in the upstairs apartment and he actually wasn’t injured at all and he came down on a ladder.”
‘ADRENALINE AND INSTINCT’
A witness to the blast, Siobhan Carr, said: “Within seconds the area was covered in ash and a puff of smoke.”
An eyewitness who rushed to help those at the scene of the petrol station explosion told how he “knew all but one” of the victims pulled from the rubble.
Bernard Doherty, who arrived on the scene of the tragedy before emergency services, said locals pulled together in an effort to provide support to victims and rescuers.
Speaking to Katie Hannon on RTE, he said: “There were two or three locations where we had set up chain gangs of eight or ten or twelve men, just from the centre of where it happened, getting rid of rubble and blocks to try and clear a way in. When we landed there both adrenaline and instinct kicked in.”
DESPERATE HUNT FOR SURVIVORS
Bernard told how brave locals brought their own tractors, trailors and other equipment to the horror scene in a bid to aid rescuers in their desperate hunt for survivors.
Sniffer dogs were used alongside a digger sifting through the rubble in the rescue operation which continued throughout Friday night until late this evening.
At one point on Friday night, all machinery was turned off and onlookers were asked to remain completely silent as workers attempted to detect survivors beneath the debris.
President Michael D Higgins said the entire country has been left shocked and saddened by the “terrible tragedy”.
‘DEVASTATING NEWS’
He said: “People across this island will be numbed by the same sense of shock and utter devastation as the people of Creeslough at this tragic loss of life.”
Applegreen Ireland directing manager Fiona Matthews said the company was “deeply saddened and shocked to learn the devastating news that lives have been lost in today’s tragic incident”.
She added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased, those who have been injured, and the wider Creeslough community.
“Creeslough is a small village and the supermarket and Applegreen outlet operated by our local partners there are at the heart of the community.
“Like the rest of Ireland, tonight we stand in solidarity with that community.”
Applegreen Founder and Chief Executive Joe Barrett said yesterday was a “very dark day” for Ireland and said they are providing their local partners with support and assistance.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who visited the scene this evening, has vowed that the Government will do everything in its power to assist the families of those who have lost loved ones in the service station explosion.
All GAA games in Donegal have been cancelled this weekend in the wake of Friday’s tragedy.
In a statement issued late last night, Donegal GAA extended their thoughts and prayers to the community of Creeslough after the “terrible explosion”, and confirmed that all adult GAA games this weekend have been postponed as a mark of respect.
PRAYERS IN WAKE OF TRAGEDY
The Donegal Motor Club also cancelled this weekend’s Harvest Rally, which was due to take place today, out of respect for the victims and all those affected by the tragedy. No new date has been announced.
Prayers have been said in the local church in Creeslough for the families and all those affected by the explosion.
Fr John Joe Duffy asked the congregation gathered at St Michael’s Church to pray for all those suffering this morning.
The HSE remain present in Creeslough providing counselling support to members of the community and will continue to provide this presence over the coming days in Creeslough. Each bereaved family will be offered the contact details of an identified support person.
HSE & AN POST SUPPORT
In a statement this evening, a spokeswoman said: “Wider community support services will be available over the coming weeks and months as required. Services can be accessed by contacting your GP in the first instance.”
An Post this evening announced that all of their branches will be taking financial donations for a Creeslough Community Support Fund.
In a statement, a spokeswoman said: “An Post will accept donations for a special Creeslough Community Support Fund at all its 920 Post Offices nationwide from this Monday, 10th October.
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“All donations by cash or debit card will be channelled through the Irish Red Cross to provide practical support and services to all those who have been bereaved, injured or made homeless by Friday’s tragedy. There will be no fee payable for making donations.
“An Post and the Irish Red Cross will work with State service providers and local groups to ensure that supports are available to all those who need them in the weeks and months ahead.”
