Three fatalities confirmed after petrol station explosion in Creeslough, Co Donegal
Three people have died following an explosion at a petrol station in Creeslough in Co Donegal.
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The incident happened at around 3:20pm at the Applegreen in the village bringing down part of the building.
Emergency Services remain at the scene with the Donegal County Council Fire Service, An Garda Síochána and the National Ambulance Service being assisted by the Irish Coast Guard and their helicopter as well as ambulance crews from Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.
Sniffer dogs have been brought in to help search through the rubble.
Northern Ireland Urban Search and Rescue, Meavagh Fire Service and Donegal Mountain Rescue are helping to search through the rubble.
An explosion ripped through the petrol station at around 3pm bringing down part of the building.
A number of people are in hospital, while the Irish Coast Guard have set up a landing area in Phoenix Park in Dublin to receive patients.
The mayor of Derry city said there had been a gas explosion.
“This has been an absolutely devastating day for Creeslough, one that will be remembered for many, many years," Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty told UTV.
“This is a really tightknit community and it is the only shop in the village – where our post office is, where our Delhi is, where our petrol station is – it’s a really busy point and what happened here at 3:15pm, just as schoolchildren were getting out, on pension day as well, there was a massive explosion and many people were injured and taken away by air ambulance.
“Others we believe are still possibly trapped in the building.
“In moments like this words fail you.
“In a flick of a switch peoples lives have changed and this village is carrying a very big cross at the time.”
Multiple people are requiring immediate medical attention after a massive petrol station explosion, Letterkenny University Hospital said.
A major incident has been declared after the explosion at the Applegreen petrol station and the village roads closed.
Images from the scene show a partially collapsed building and the filling court roof collapsed.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said his prayers were with the village and thanked the efforts of the emergency services, including those from Northern Ireland who are assisting.
"My thoughts and prayers are tonight with the entire community of Creeslough following today’s devastating explosion," he said.
"Thinking too of all the emergency services, from across the north-west and NI working in very traumatic situation."
Fianna Fail councillor Anthony Molloy said it is “beyond words” as he knows the family who own the service station. “My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved,” Mr Molloy said. “It looks horrific from what I can see from photographs. It looks terrible. It’s just terrible. “I know the family. It’s beyond words.”
Letterkenny University Hospital has been moved to Major Emergency Standby as it deals with the incident.
Gardaí have asked the public to stop phoning the hospital "except in relation to matters of critical importance".
The hospital is appealing for people not to attend A&E as it deals with “multiple injured people requiring immediate medical attention”.
Gardaí say they "are currently assisting other Emergency Services at the scene of a serious incident on the N56 at Creeslough.
"An Garda Síochána are asking any road users intending to travel to Creeslough to consider alternative routes."
An Ambulance Service statement added: "A number of ambulances are attending the scene of a serious incident at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal. Please avoid this area at the moment if possible."
The Emergency Services are being supported by The Irish Coast Guard's Sligo based Helicopter Rescue 118 and the Mulroy Coast Guard team are assisting the operation.In a statement, Applegreen said: "Applegreen is aware of a serious incident at its dealer-operated location at Creeslough in Co Donegal. Emergency services are on the scene and are dealing with the incident."
The Shandon Hotel in nearby Marblehill has stopped taking bookings for the night as it is making free rooms available for members of the emergency services.
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