Tributes paid to 10 killed in Ireland petrol station explosion as victims’ names emerge

Teenager Leona Harper was just one of the names of the ten victims killed in the explosion. Gareth Wilkinson reports.

The Irish premier has paid tribute to the victims of a petrol station explosion in Donegal in Ireland as the names of some of the 10 people killed began to emerge.

Talented teenage rugby player Leona Harper; Jessica Gallagher, who was understood to have been in her early 20s; shop worker Martina Martin; Catherine O’Donnell and her son James; and Hughie Kelly, have all been named locally as among those who died in Friday’s blast in Creeslough, Co Donegal.

Four others, including a girl of primary school age, were also killed.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who visited the site of the explosion on Saturday evening, said the entire nation is mourning following the tragedy. Mr Martin spoke to members of the emergency services who worked for 24 hours to locate victims following the explosion. Irish police believe the explosion that ripped through the Applegreen service station and convenience store and adjoining buildings was a “tragic accident”.

“The entire nation is mourning and deeply saddened,” he said.The huge search operation following an explosion in Creeslough has now ended, police said.

Gardai confirmed they will continue an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the explosion in Co Donegal.

A further eight people continue to receive treatment in hospital.

A search operation at the scene has concluded and no further casualties have been located, gardai said.

The Garda Technical Bureau have started an examination of the scene, with assistance from other expert agencies including the health and safety authority and national utility companies. The local coroner 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 also been appointed and are providing support and information to those affected by the incident.

A major emergency response operation involving first responders from both sides of the Irish border extended through the night and continued on Saturday morning.

Rubble was being moved on to trailers and hauled from the scene.

Two rescue workers were on a raised platform above the site of the explosion and a digger was working through the debris.

Among those gathered at the cordon on Friday night were relatives of people believed to have been in the buildings at the time.

Sniffer dogs were being used amid the rubble.

At one point on Friday night all machinery was turned off and onlookers were asked to remain silent as rescue workers attempted to detect survivors beneath the debris.

A moment of silence was held at the press conference at Milford garda station for the 10 people who died in the Creeslough explosion.

Police in Ireland believe the explosion in Creeslough was a “tragic accident”.

Gardai say it is the largest number of civilian casualty seen in decades in the region.

Superintendent David Kelly of Milford garda station said: “This is a tragedy for our community. There are families left devastated."

“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.

“We are following certain investigative angles but for operational reasons, I am not going in to that.”

It was also confirmed that all victims were from the Creeslough area.

The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins expressed his shock at the “terrible tragedy”.

“All of our thoughts must go out to all of those who have been affected,” he said.

“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.

“This tragedy is 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.”

Irish premier Micheal Martin visited the scene of the explosion on Saturday evening.

The Taoiseach met with members of the emergency services and surveyed the site of the blast.

Mr Martin was accompanied by Donegal TD and Ireland's Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.

Micheal Martin said the great loss of life in Creeslough will have an "enormous" impact on the community.

"When one comes to the scene and the Applegreen site, one is greeted with a terrible sadness, reflecting an enormous loss on a scale that no-one can comprehend," the Taoiseach said.

"It's a very, very sad day for Creeslough, but also for the entire country because we can feel it across the length and breadth of country. People are very shocked by what has happened here."

He also praised emergency workers in Northern Ireland who helped out in the search operation.

Mr Martin said that a range of supports will be provided to the community and local schools.

The Garda has not provided any information on the suspected cause of the explosion.

Donegal TD Pearse Doherty, who was at the scene on Saturday morning, said there were a number of people missing.

He said: “The rescue and recovery operation went on through the night.

“This explosion not only ripped the heart out of this building, but ripped the heart out of this community and left a huge amount of devastation.

“In the early hours four more bodies were recovered, bringing the overall death toll to seven.

“There are a number of people still missing and the emergency services are working tirelessly to remove debris and to recover other individuals who may still be in that building.”

Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue, speaking from the scene of the blast, said: “It has been a very difficult time overnight as the emergency services have worked their way through the rubble.

“It is a really challenging, traumatic situation here in Creeslough. There is real devastation here in this local community.”

Prayers were said in the local church in Creeslough on Saturday morning for all those suffering.

The congregation at St Michael’s Church heard there was a “tsumami” of grief in the community.

Fr John Joe Duffy said: “From our hearts, with all our hearts and with all our souls, we pray for those who have died, we pray for those who were injured, we pray for all who were involved… we pray for those who are there continuing to help and have helped since yesterday.

“We pray also for those family members who are bereaved and we pray for those who still are waiting news.

“We keep them all very much in our hearts.”

On Friday night a coast guard helicopter airlifted some of those who were injured in the blast from Letterkenny University Hospital to Dublin.

Northern Ireland’s air ambulance was also deployed, as were fire crews and ground ambulances from the region.

The Irish Coast Guard said on Saturday morning that it was continuing to support emergency crews at the scene after working through the night.

Letterkenny hospital appealed to the public not to attend its emergency department unless it was urgent.

The hospital initiated its major emergency standby protocol earlier on Friday. It stood down the protocol late on Friday.

In a statement, the hospital said: “The hospital continues to treat those injured in the incident at Creeslough, Co Donegal, and remains on hand to provide all necessary medical assistance required.”

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”.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased, those who have been injured, and the wider Creeslough community,” she added.

“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.”

Ireland’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar wrote on Twitter: “Terrible news from Donegal tonight."

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events and with the emergency services responding.”

A local hotel stopped taking bookings from members of the public on Friday to ensure all spare rooms were held for first responders.

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