Ten dead after Donegal explosion including two teenagers and a young girl

Charlie Herbert

Three children are among the victims

Ten people are now confirmed to have died after a huge explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal.

Those killed include four men, three women, a teenage boy and girl, and a young girl, gardaí (Irish police) said.

Eight people were also taken to hospital after the blast. The blast destroyed the building and a section of an apartment building.

The initial death toll had stood at seven.

The blast in the village of Creeslough, Co Donegal, tore through the Applegreen service station and convenience store and adjacent buildings. The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but a gas leak is thought to be the most likely cause, Independent.ie reported.

#NEW 🚨

Death toll in #Creeslough has risen to 10.

•4 men
•3 women
•1 Teenage girl
•1 Teenage boy
•1Young girl “primary school age”

Media standing by for full update from Gardai in #Donegal @VirginMediaNews pic.twitter.com/Wk9umKJf6g

— Zara King (@ZaraKing) October 8, 2022

The Irish premier Micheal Martin said Friday was the “darkest of days” for Donegal and Ireland.

“My thoughts and prayers are today with those who have lost their lives, and those injured in the devastating explosion in Creeslough,” said the Taoiseach.

“I wish to express my deepest sympathies to their family, and friends, and to the entire community of Creeslough, on this darkest of days for Donegal and the entire country.

“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.

“I would like to thank all the members of the emergency services, from across the north-west and Northern Ireland, who responded so quickly to the scene, and who are working throughout the night in extremely traumatic circumstances.”

The founder and chief executive of Applegreen, Joe Barrett, said Friday was a “very dark day for Creeslough, for Donegal, for Ireland” and the wider Applegreen family.

“This is a hugely tragic event, and I would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased, and to the entire community in Creeslough,” Mr Barrett said.

“We are utterly shocked and saddened at what happened yesterday.

“We have been working with our local partners in Creeslough since 2014. We are providing them with assistance and support locally at this very difficult time.”

The local church in Creeslough held Mass on Saturday morning for the community, with father John Joe Duffy saying the community had been hit by “a tsunami of grief”.

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