Four people were among the 10 who died in an explosion of gas at a fuel station in Ireland.
The victims include Leona Harper, a teenager rugby player and Jessica Gallagher (a 23-year-old design student), Catherine O’Donnell and James O’Donnell (14)
Miss Gallagher was a Creeslough resident who lived above the petrol station in an apartment with her boyfriend. He sustained severe injuries in the explosion. The injured man was immediately taken to hospital and is still in serious condition.
MailOnline was told by a friend that Jessica studied Design at Paris’s University and had traveled extensively throughout Asia.
“She had moved in above the petrol station shop with her boyfriend and was home at the time of the blast.
“Her boyfriend was about to go to a shower. It seems he is currently being treated at a Dublin hospital and in serious condition.
Jessica is a sweet girl. She grew-up in Creeslough, and attended school here. Her friends were understandably upset by the news.
Anthony Harper, Leona Harper’s distraught brother posted a photo of the two of them on Facebook. His post read: “I don’t even know where to start, Leona. I couldn’t ask for a better sister.” It’s an old photograph of you that I put up, and you would think it was crazy. Leona, I love you very much. We love you all so much.
Letterkenny Rugby Club posted a tribute for Leona. It stated: “We are heartbroken that our worst fears have been confirmed. Yesterday, Leona Harper lost her life in Creeslough.
Leona was a skilled rugby player, and was an important member of our U14 girl team… It is difficult to find words that express the strength and sadness felt in such an awful time.
Catherine O’Donell was believed to be with her son James, 14 years old, when she was caught in the blast at Applegreen station in Creeslough County Donegal.
MailOnline learned that a five-year old girl, who went to the shop to purchase a birthday cake for her mother, is believed to have been among the victims.
Leona Harper (a teenage girl who played rugby for Letterkenny Rugby Club) was named as one of the ten victims.
Jessica Gallagher (23) was named yesterday as one the 10 people who were killed by a gas explosion in Creeslough (Co Donegal).
Miss Gallagher is thought to have been a native of Creeslough, a tiny village of less than 400 people located in the northern part of the Republic of Ireland, who lived in an apartment conjoined with the petrol station
Another one of the victims has been identified as Catherine O’Donnell, who is understood to have died in the tragedy alongside her young son.
Catherine O’Donell, right (right), was believed to have been there with her 14 year-old son James at the time of the Creeslough explosion at Applegreen stations station in Creeslough County Donegal
Jessica Gallagher, pictured with her mother and father in 2017, studied design at a university in Paris and she’d travelled extensively around Asia
David Kelly, Garda Superintendent, speaks out to the media regarding the Creeslough Service Station Explosion
J.J. McGowan is chief ambulance officer in the Northwest region and speaks with the media on the Creeslough station explosion
The Creeslough tragedy scene has been given floral tributes
A suspected gas blast destroyed the Applegreen service station in Creeslough, a tiny village of less than 400 people in Co Donegal in the north of the republic about 30 miles from the border with the UK, tore through the convenience store and laid waste to adjacent buildings at around 3pm yesterday.
Having announced three fatalities last night, the Irish police force, An Garda Siochana, today announced the death toll had risen to ten, with four men, three women, two teenagers and a girl of primary school age having lost their lives in the blast.
The community is coming to terms with their loss and locals offer support to one another. The Coffee Pot cafe continues to offer free food, drink and support for rescuers and distressed villagers.
MailOnline was told by a family friend: “It’s heartbreaking. She was just a small girl. The explosion engulfed her father and she, who had gone with her to get her mum a birthday cake. Her mother had just begun school. The entire family is devastated. Her mother is distraught. We are a small community and this tragedy has been very hard on us all.
The truth is out that one of these victims was a young girl, who went to the shop at the service station to buy her mother birthday cakes.
Six people were transported to the hospital in stable conditions while seven others were transferred to Dublin with critical injuries.
Police have now concluded the massive search for victims of the explosion.
Gardai will continued an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blast, as a further eight people continue to receive treatment in hospital.
Gardai stated that a search at the site has been completed and that no other casualties were found.
Garda’s Technical Bureau has begun to examine the scene with the help of experts from national utility companies, as well as the health and safety authorities. Notification has been sent to the local coroner as well as the Office of the State Pathologist. Post-mortem examinations are expected to take place in the next few days.
Garda family liaison officials were also appointed. They provide support and information for those who have been affected by the incident.
Following a Friday afternoon gas explosion at a County Donegal station on Friday, there was a major incident.
Taoiseach Micheal Mart (center) inspects the site of the explosion at Applegreen, a service station located in Creeslough
The disaster at Creeslough, County Donegal saw ten deaths.
While a media crew was assisting, members of the emergency team were provided with hot beverages, water, food and other necessities. A local garda helped a woman who was in distress as she was taken to the spot. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) left Creeslough at 1.15pm.
Leo Varadkar from Ireland was the deputy premier and described the incident as an ‘unimaginable tragedy’. Michael D Higgins the President of Ireland, however, called the blast “terrible”.
Also, a mother and her son could be killed. They were inside the Applegreen store. Locals said they called the shop after school was over.
An additional victim to the blast, which also destroyed the apartment block attached to the shop’s premises, was a farmer from the area in his 60s.
A human chain was formed by heroes from village to remove the debris and save some people trapped within. Although they managed to save one girl who was in her teens, it wasn’t possible to get to her friend.
The emergency services reached the scene in a chaotic and traumatizing state within 10 minutes.
The scale of the task ahead was evident when emergency crews arrived at the scene to discover huge concrete blocks, rubble, and debris where once the building stood.
To free people trapped in the rubble, civilians used car jacks.
This huge rescue involved the Irish Coast Guard and the Coast Guard rescue helicopter 112, Irish Air Corps 112, and the Northern Ireland Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. (HEMS) The Irish Community Air Ambulance and Northern Ireland Search and Rescue. Donegal Mountain Rescue and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service heartteam. Donegal County Council Civil Defence was also included.
Superintendent David Kelly from Milford’s garda station stated that he was not required to contact colleagues, as all were available for duty.
As news broke of the tragedy, several Garda (police members) were seen from Buncrana and Ballyshannon.
Superintendent Kelly explained, “That’s the way it is in Donegal. We look after each other.”
“We must think about the members of our own military who attended. Initial resources were deployed by the Millford Garda District and were assisted by off-duty members.
“I am proud to state that I did not have to ask people for their service, they just came.
Applegreen Service Station explosion: Emergency Services on the Scene
Searching for the missing or injured in an ambulance using a cherrypicker
Following an explosion at Donegal’s Petrol Station, Emergency Services respond immediately
Emergency services continue their work at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station
An explosion at Applegreen’s service station has prompted emergency personnel to continue working at the site.
Creeslough is a small village on the north side of Ireland in County Donegal. It was home to 393 people in 2016.
Although shouts of help could be heard from the building’s rubble, the danger of more collapse and gas pressure forced rescuers to return.
Varadkar declared that the country’s collective heart was broken by the announcement on Friday. Unimaginable tragedies occurred in a neighborhood we are all familiar with. It happened to families going about their normal lives as we do. Many empty seats have been left at the dinner table due to this freak accident. This is too unbelievable to comprehend.
“The sorrow is beyond comprehension.” The horror and shock of such an event is almost unimaginable. There is some consolation in how the community rallied together and came together. Both the emergency services of Northern Ireland, Ireland and Northern Ireland are outstanding. The best care is provided by our hospitals.
“This is only the start of the rescue. These effects will continue to be felt for years. We each have our part in providing any comfort that we can.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families that have lost their loved ones. We also send our condolences to those who are in recovery at hospital and local communities.
Paul Harper, deputy chief fire and rescue officer, expressed his sympathy to the grieving families.
“Yesterday evening, at 5.09pm, our special rescue team from Belfast was tasked with the task of responding to the emergency. Strabane also sent a command unit. This support group will be supporting Donegal Fire Service. He stated that the firefighters worked together with emergency personnel to rescue survivors from the rubble using specialist search-and-rescue equipment.
“Working with Donegal Fire Service, and other statutory and volunteer organisations, it was a multi-agency and cross-border response effort.
“NIFRS has now moved out of the region and will be there to help our Donegal Fire Service colleagues during this difficult time. Thank you to the specialists, firefighters, officers, regional control centre staff, and all those who responded to this tragedy.
A man arrived on the scene in ten minutes. He declined to identify himself as he was too shocked. The road was littered with debris and large blocks of concrete.
“The forecourt of the petrol station was covered in rubble, where it had fallen. There were still pieces falling. On the forecourt, I saw the remains of a male. I checked the pulse of his body but it was still absent. There were shouts for help coming from those trapped in the building. The voice of a man was heard and the voice of a woman.
“About 10 of us made a human chain, lifting concrete blocks and debris to reach the trapped.
‘We got one young girl out. Her age was probably 15-16 years.
She said that she could still walk but felt very shakey.
“We did everything we could, but there was too much rubble, it was hard work, and it seemed like the building would collapse even more. Fire crews and Gardai responded quickly and evacuated everyone.
A neighbor woman said that she heard a loud bang, and went outside to investigate.
“It was carnage,” that is the best way to describe it. A few men rushed to remove debris from the scene and attempt to reach people who were trapped, but it was dangerous.
“Pretty soon, the whole village was crowded with ambulances, Gardai, and emergency services. The community is small and close knit. We are familiar with some of those who died.
“There was a mother with her child who stopped by the shop after school. The boy attends the secondary school in his area, and finishes on Fridays. The weekend treats are a popular treat for many of these kids. It is too horrible to think about. It’s a shock to the village.
A man related how his wife paid for petrol, and that she had only just left the forecourt of the petrol station seconds prior to the explosion.
He stated that she was the one who left the shop after the blast. It’s amazing how lucky she is. She had paid for the petrol and got in her car to drive home.
Apartment buildings adjacent to this complex sustained extensive damage. The explosion buried their occupants in mounds.
After Friday’s explosion at a petrol station, an emergency response team takes a rest and leaves the scene of devastation.
Civil Defence Volunteers work on a tape to support the many fire engines. Front line personnel are also there to help with the rescue of survivors.
Emergency responders and the first responders worked through the night, sometimes using only their hands to dig the rubble in search of survivors.
Seven people were killed in an explosion that occurred at the Applegreen service station, Creeslough (Co Donegal), Friday afternoon, according to Irish Garda
“There was smoke everywhere, and there was rubble scattered all along the road. She would not have been there had she arrived just a moment earlier.
According to police in Donegal, the explosion caused the most civilian deaths in many decades and necessitated a massive emergency response.
Cafés and restaurants in the area opened their doors to help emergency responders, serving hot drinks and food.
Emergency personnel who work through the night were also accommodated in a local hotel’s block-booked rooms.
Liam Geraghty of the Garda Press Office said that employees came across a very traumatic scene.
It was chaotic, with a lot debris and traumatized individuals already present. Geraghty said that counselling will be offered to our colleagues in order for them to cope with the tragic situations.
Milford garda station also hosted a moment in silence to remember the victims of the Creeslough eruption.
7 people remain in Donegal hospital, while 1 patient is transferred to Dublin’s specialist burns unit.
On Friday, eight ambulances arrived on the scene. Three more attended Saturday morning.
There were also four physicians and four officers who drove ambulances.
The search for the missing person has been ongoing all night, with cranes and sniffer dogs helping to locate it. Rescuers have sometimes had to dig with their naked hands.
To help with the tragedy, fire and rescue service personnel from Northern Ireland were called in.
After a serious incident that involved multiple people and required immediate attention, the nearby Letterkenny University Hospital was moved to emergency standby. Eight people were admitted.
The public was urged to not visit the emergency room unless there is an immediate need.
The night was characterized by a major emergency response operation, which involved both first responders from the Irish border. It continued into Saturday morning.
The debris was being loaded onto trailers, and then hauled away from the accident site. The scene was being remediated by two rescue personnel who were standing on a platform high above the blast site. A digger was digging through the rubble.
On Friday night, relatives of those who were in the building at that time were among the people gathered at the cordon.
This morning, Father John Joe Duffy celebrated mass at St Michael’s Church Creeslough.
He stated that his heart was broken. The Tsunami of grief has hit this tiny community, but it is slowly easing off. We are now beginning to realize the magnitude of the situation. The situation is overwhelming.
Police continue to search through rubble using cranes and sniffer dog for victims, resulting in seven deaths.
After the explosion, emergency rescue operations continue for seven more hours. Pictured: Friday night’s search-and rescue mission was assisted by a crane
‘I’d like to say thank you to all the rescue workers who came from across Ireland. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of local residents who responded quickly to emergency calls, even though they didn’t know the details of what was happening or how dangerous it was. People from all over the country are asked to pray for me.
Local hotels made it clear that bookings were not being taken on Friday, and they did offer their rooms for free to any emergency personnel who needed them.
Some people were being treated in hospital yesterday evening while others remain ‘trapped’ at the scene, according to Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty on Friday night.
Micheal Martin, the Irish Premier said that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of the tragedy and the entire community.
Martin spoke with members of emergency services, who worked 24 hours to find victims after the devastating blast.
Martin, speaking at the cordon near the blast site said there was “deep sadness” in the village. He also spoke of a “terrible silence”, which is a reflection of the horror of what happened.
He said, “The whole nation is in deep sorrow and mourning.”
“A small child was in the shop, and there were two teenagers as well as some men and women going about their daily lives.
“It’s a close-knit group and we are so sorry for their loss.
According to the Taoiseach, “Talking with those at the frontline and all involved, they were moved by the incredible support that they received from the community almost immediately.”
“Many volunteers raced to the scene in an effort to do their best to assist because they were shocked at what they saw. We must never forget our emergency services.
“I would like to express my gratitude for their help in helping the injured and trapped. The community needs our support.
“Words alone will not comfort someone who has just lost a beloved one. We have to be there for them. They will always be our companion.
On Saturday, Mary Lou McDonald (the leader of Sinn Fein) visited Creeslough along with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, deputy prime minister.
Yesterday night, dramatic photos showed houses above Ulster’s convenience shop and petrol station that were almost completely destroyed by the blast.
In an update this morning, a Garda spokesperson said: ‘An Garda Síochána continue to work with other Emergency Services at the scene of a serious ongoing incident that occurred at approximately 3:20pm on Friday, 7th October, 2022, at a premises on the N56 at Creeslough, County Donegal.
‘Gardaí and Emergency Services remain at the scene in a search and recovery phase of this operation.
‘An Garda Síochána can now confirm nine fatalities as a result of this incident. Continued search for additional fatalities is underway.
‘An Garda Síochána continue to request that any road users intending to travel to the Creeslough area for any reason consider alternative routes as Emergency Services continue to deal with this ongoing incident. At this point, traffic divertsions are in effect.
Horror images taken by passersby showed the damage at the Applegreen filling station in Creeslough
Pictures show homes located above Ulster convenience store and petrol station being blown up by the blast
The ground was covered in rubble as the members of public sought out injured persons.
Multiple emergency service vehicles attended and a Coastguard helicopter also provided support. To assist emergency services, paramedics from Northern Ireland and the NI Fire Service rushed over the border.
Brendan O’Connor was the president of Garda Representative. He paid tribute to fontline workers, who “dug with their naked hands” through the night.
He added, “I’ve never witnessed anything as much effort by the emergency service, north or south, those with their bare fingers, those driving machines and those who fed, watered, and dug for us.”
“We have lost so much of our small community that it is hard to find words.”
Nearby Marblehill’s Shandon Hotel announced that it has ceased taking reservations for the night and is providing free accommodation for emergency personnel.
Local Gardaí police and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) urged locals to avoid the area.
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister stated last night that he had been praying for Creeslough, as well as all of Donegal.
In a tweet that was subsequently deleted, Josepha Madigan, the Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education cast suspicion on the cause of the blast, which was confirmed by the mayor to be an accidental gas explosion.
Minister tweeted, “I pray that no one is hurt and they find those responsible.” It is possible that the minister meant to tweet, “One hopes it wasn’t intentional but it is still being clarified.”
Simon Coveney posted: ‘Thinking and praying for Cresslough, Donegal and all of its residents tonight. This was a terrible and shocking day that will continue into tonight. We are grateful to the emergency services that worked together throughout the night.
TD Pearse Doherty told RTE News that it was after 3pm when the ‘devastating’ explosion took place that has left ‘a very very dark cloud’ over the community.
He said that it ripped through the building and that this location was very busy at the time.
He explained that there was only silence and it seemed surreal. The people are holding onto hope and waiting to hear positive news from emergency services.
Donal Mandy Kelly from the local council said it was “devastating” that news broke. He said, “My thoughts and prayers are for everyone.”
John O’Donnell, an independent Donegal councillor said that he was praying for no deaths.
According to BBC Radio Ulster, he said that Creeslough has been rocked by carnage and there is a gas explosion.
“The family is distraught and upset by the events. This is the feedback that I am getting from friends and relatives who were down there.
Numerous emergency vehicles were on-hand, and the Coastguard helicopter also provided support
Local Gardaí police and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) urged locals to avoid the area
An Garda Siochana urged motorists heading toward Creeslough, to think about alternative routes.
Some people remain ‘trapped’ in the rubble, according to Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty
Joe Barrett (Applegreen’s Founder, Chief Executive, and owner of the petrol station) offered his deepest condolences for the “hugely tragic” event.
“We were shocked and deeply saddened by what occurred yesterday. We also want to express our gratitude to emergency personnel and the first responders who dealt with this incident.
Anthony Molloy from Fianna Fail said the incident was beyond words as he is close to the family that owns the station.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all involved,” Mr Molloy stated. From what I see in photographs, it looks horrible. It’s horrible. It is just horrible. The family is my friend. It is beyond description.
An Garda Siochana asked drivers heading toward Creeslough for alternative routes.
The NAS wrote: ‘A number of ambulances are attending the scene of a serious incident at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal. If possible, please avoid the area.
Around 5:15pm the Irish Coast Guard announced that they were assisting emergency services on the site of a major incident in Creeslough, Co. Donegal.
“The operation is being assisted by the Mulroy Coast Guard and Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 from Sligo.