Ten people are confirmed to have been killed following an explosion on Friday at a petrol station in Donegal, Ireland.
The explosion occurred at around 3:20 p.m. on Friday at an Applegreen service station in Creeslough, Co. Donegal. The blast tore through the forecourt, convenience store, and apartment blocks connected to the building.
Four men, three women, two teenagers, and a girl of primary school age were killed. All casualties were from the Creeslough area.
A further eight people were taken to hospital on Friday.
Emergency services from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were deployed to the scene following the explosion.
Three of the bodies were found by Friday evening, four were found overnight, and three more were recovered on Saturday.
The search and recovery operation is still ongoing, but a spokesperson for the Irish police An Garda Síochána said emergency services do not expect to find more casualties.
“Emergency services continue a search and recovery operation at the site this afternoon,” he told a a press conference in Donegal.
“But based on the information available to An Garda Síochána 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,” he said.
The cause of the explosion is unclear, Superintendent David Kelly of Milford garda station said it seemed to be an accident but police are “following certain investigative angles.”
“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,” he said.
“That said, being a garda [(police officer)], I have to take a holistic and overall viewpoint, but that’s where we are going at the moment,” he added.
“We are following certain investigative angles but for operational reasons, I am not going into that.”
Earlier on Saturday, President Michael D Higgins said the tragedy was “a terrible blow to a community that is closely knit and where every loss and injury will be felt by every member of the community and far beyond.”
“All of our thoughts must go out to all of those who have been affected. Those who have received news of the loss of a loved one, those injured, and, most of all, those who are waiting with anxiety for news of their loved ones,” he said.
The president paid “special tribute” to local community members and emergency services on both sides of the borders.
“All of our best thoughts and prayers go to those who have lost their lives and their families,” he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the tragedy is “absolutely devastating” and the scale of it is “quite shocking.”
“An explosion ripping through the normality of a community, with people going to the shop, the normal toing and froing of life,” the prime minister said.
Martin expressed his sympathies to the families and friends of those who died or have been injured, and he offered the “warmest” tribute to the emergency services.
“We are in great debt of gratitude and we thank them for what they have done,” he said.
“The entire nation is mourning for the people of Creeslough this morning. I think everybody is shattered by the scale of this.
“We will ensure that all the services of the state will be there for the people for the community in the days and the times ahead.”
Catholic Bishop Alan McGuckian visited the Donegal village.
Describing the “darkest day in Donegal,” he urged all parishes in the diocese of Raphoe to come together to pray at mass this weekend.
