Four victims have been identified among the ten people who tragically lost their lives in a massive gas explosion at a petrol station in Ireland.
Teenage rugby player Leona Harper, 23-year-old former design student Jessica Gallagher and Catherine O’Donnell and her 14-year old son James have all been named among those who died.
Miss Gallagher, a Creeslough native, lived in an apartment above the petrol station with her boyfriend, who was badly hurt in the explosion. He was rushed to hospital where he remains in a serious condition
A friend told MailOnline: ‘Jessica studied design at a university in Paris and she’d travelled extensively around Asia.
‘She’d moved in with her boyfriend above the petrol station shop and was at home when the explosion ripped through the building.
‘Her boyfriend had been about to have a shower. I think he’s being treated in hospital in Dublin and is in a bad way.’
‘Jessica was a lovely girl, she grew up in Creeslough and went to school here. She had a lot of friends, who are understandably distraught at the news.’
Leona Harper’s devastated brother Anthony posted a picture of them together on Facebook. He wrote: ‘I don’t know where to begin, Leona I couldn’t have asked for a better little sister. You would go mad for me putting this up of you now because it’s an old picture of you. Leona I love you so much and we all love you so much xx.’
Letterkenny Rugby Club also posted a tribute to Leona, stating: ‘We are heartbroken to say our worst fears have been confirmed. Leona Harper tragically lost her life yesterday in Creeslough.
‘Leona was a talented rugby player and an important part of our U14 girls team… There are no words that feel strong enough at a moment of deep sorrow such as this.
Catherine O’Donell is understood to have been with her 14-year-old son James when they were caught up in the explosion at Applegreen services station in Creeslough, County Donegal
A five-year-old girl who had gone to the shop to buy her mother a birthday cake is also believed to be among the victims along with her father, MailOnline has learned.
Teenager Leona Harper who formerly played for Letterkenny Rugby Club, has been named among the ten victims
Jessica Gallagher, 23, has been named as one of the ten victims killed in a massive gas explosion at a petrol station in Creeslough, Co Donegal yesterday
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) is understood to have been with her 14-year-old son James when they were caught up in the explosion at Applegreen services 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
Garda Superintendent David Kelly speaks to the media about the Creeslough service station explosion
J.J. McGowan, chief ambulance officer for the northwest region, speaks to the media about the Creeslough service station explosion
Floral tributes have been placed outside the scene of the tragedy in Creeslough
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.
As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, locals have gone above and beyond to offer each other support. Throughout today, The Coffee Pot cafe has been giving out free food and drink to rescuers and distraught villagers.
A family friend told MailOnline: ‘It’s heart-breaking, she was just a little girl. She’d gone to the shop with her dad to buy her mum a birthday cake and they were caught up in the explosion. She’d just started school as well. Her mother is absolutely devastated, the whole family are. This is only a small village and this incident has really hit us hard.’
It has now emerged that one of the victims was a young girl who had gone to the service station shop to buy her mother a birthday cake.
Eight people were taken to local hospital on Friday, seven in a stable condition while one was transferred to Dublin in critical condition.
The huge search operation following the explosion has now ended, police said.
Gardai will continued an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blast, as 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 incident has been declared after a gas explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal on Friday afternoon
Taoiseach Micheal Martin (centre) visits the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough
Members of the fire service attend the disaster at Creeslough in County Donegal, which saw ten people lose their lives
Hot drinks, water and food were handed out to members of the emergency services and the media, while a local garda was seen comforting a woman in tears as she was led towards the scene. At around 1.15pm, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service left Creeslough.
Ireland’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar described the explosion as an ‘unthinkable tragedy’, while the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins called the blast ‘terrible’.
A mother and her young son are also feared to be among at least nine people killed. They had been inside the shop at the Applegreen service station. They had called in to the shop just after school had finished, locals told MailOnline.
Another victim of the explosion, which destroyed an apartment complex attached to the shop, is said to be a local farmer in his 60s.
Hero villagers formed a human chain to try and remove debris from the destroyed petrol station shop and rescue some of those trapped inside. They managed to free one badly injured girl, aged in her mid-teens, but were unable to reach her friend.
Within 10 minutes of the explosion, emergency services had arrived at a chaotic and traumatic scene.
As emergency personnel arrived to find huge concrete blocks, debris and rubble where the building once stood, the scale of the operation ahead became clear.
Civilians were already there using car jacks to try to free trapped people from the large piles of rubble.
The huge rescue operation involved the Irish Coast Guard, the Coast Guard rescue helicopter 118, Irish Air Corps 112, the Northern Ireland Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), the Irish Community Air Ambulance, Northern Ireland Search and Rescue, Donegal Mountain Rescue, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service heart team, Donegal County Council Civil Defence as well as dozens of people from the community in Creeslough.
Superintendent David Kelly of Milford garda station said he did not have to reach out to colleagues – that all came forward for duty.
Garda (police) members from Letterkenny, Ballyshannon and Buncrana all appeared as the news of the tragedy spread.
‘That’s what it is to be in Donegal – we look out for each other,’ Superintendent Kelly said.
‘We have to think of the people from own service who did attend. Resources were initially deployed from the Millford Garda District, assisted by members that were off-duty.
‘I’m proud to say that I didn’t have to ask for people to turn out for duty, they came in.’
Emergency services at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station
Emergency workers in a cherry picker searching for the injured and missing
Emergency services attend the scene following an explosion at a petrol station in Donegal
Emergency services continue their work at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station
Emergency services continue their work at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station
The explosion took place in Creeslough, is a tiny village in County Donegal on the northern side of the Republic of Ireland, with a population in 2016 of 393 people
Shouts for help were heard coming from the rubble of the building but the threat of further collapse and the presence of gas forced the rescuers back.
Mr Varadkar said: ‘On Friday the nation’s collective heart stopped when the news broke. This unthinkable tragedy happened in a community which we will all be familiar with, to families who were going about their daily lives like we do. This freak accident has left many empty chairs at dinner tables. It is just too hard to fathom.
‘The sadness is incomprehensible. When something like this happens it’s almost impossible to absorb the horror of it. If there is any consolation, we can find it in the way that the community has rallied and come together. The emergency services in Ireland and Northern Ireland have been heroic. Our hospitals are providing the best of care.
‘This is only the beginning of the rescue. The effects will be felt for many years and we all have a role to play in providing whatever comfort we can.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with those families who have have lost loved ones, those recovering in hospital, the local community, and our emergency service personnel.’
Deputy chief fire and rescue officer Paul Harper said he wanted to convey his heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of those who died in the tragedy.
‘Yesterday evening at 5.09pm we tasked our specialist rescue team from Belfast along with a command support unit from Strabane to the incident, supporting our colleagues in Donegal Fire Service. Using specialist search and rescue equipment, firefighters worked with other emergency services into the early hours of the morning in the hope of rescuing survivors trapped in the rubble,’ he said.
‘Working in partnership with our colleagues from Donegal Fire Service and with multiple statutory and voluntary organisations, this was a significant multi-agency and cross border response effort.
‘NIFRS have now left the area and will continue to be available to support our colleagues in Donegal Fire Service during this extremely challenging time. I would like to commend our specialist rescue team, our firefighters, officers and regional control centre operators involved in responding to this tragic incident.’
One man, who arrived at the scene within ten-minutes, but declined to be named as he was still raw with shock, said: ‘It was pure panic and chaos but a kind of organised chaos. There was debris everywhere, big blocks of concrete all in the road.
‘The petrol station forecourt was buried under rubble where the building had collapsed and there was still bits falling down. I could see the body of a man on the forecourt. I checked his pulse but there was nothing. We could hear shouts of ‘help’ coming from the people trapped inside. There was a man’s voice and woman’s voice.
‘About ten of us formed a human chain and were lifting blocks of concrete and other debris and passing it down the line to try and reach those trapped.
‘We got one young girl out. She looked to be around 15 or 16-years of age and was quite badly injured, she had a lot of blood on her face.
‘She could walk but was very shaky and she kept on saying ‘my friend is still in there’.
‘We did all we could but there was just too much rubble to remove, it was back-breaking work, and it looked as though the building was going to collapse some more. The Gardai and fire crews arrived and moved everyone away from the scene for their own safety.’
One woman who lived nearby said: ‘I heard an almighty bang and came out to see what had happened.
‘It was carnage, that’s the only way to describe it, a few lads had rushed in to pull away debris and try and get to people trapped inside, but it was a dangerous situation.
‘Pretty soon the whole village was filled with the emergency services, the Gardai and ambulances. This is a very small, close-knit community. We know some of those who have died.
‘There was a mother and her son who had popped into the shop after school. The boy goes to the local secondary school, which finishes early on Fridays. A lot of the kids go into the shops to get sweets, it’s a weekend treat. It’s too awful to even think about it. I think the whole village is in shock.’
Another man told how his wife had paid for petrol and had just pulled out of the petrol station forecourt seconds before the blast.
He said: ‘She was the last person to leave the shop before the explosion. She’s incredibly lucky. She’d paid up for her petrol, got in the car and was driving home when – bang!
The blast dealt extensive damage to the nearby apartment buildings attached to the same complex, burying the occupants under mounds of rubble
An emergency responder takes a break and walks away from the seen of destruction after a petrol station exploded on Friday
Civil Defence volunteers man a tape line in support of the numerous fire engines and front line emergency service personnel work to rescue survivors and treat the wounded
Emergency services and first responders worked throughout the night to sift the rubble – sometimes with their bare hands – in search of survivors
The Irish Garda this morning confirmed seven fatalities in an explosion at an Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough, Co Donegal, Friday afternoon
‘There was smoke and dust everywhere with rubble strewn all over the road. Had she been in there a few seconds earlier, I would have lost her.’
Police in Donegal said the blast led to the largest number of civilian casualties in decades, and required an extensive emergency response.
Cafes and local restaurants opened their doors to emergency workers, providing hot drinks and food for the personnel.
A local hotel also block-booked rooms for emergency staff who worked through the night.
Liam Geraghty, from the Garda press office, said workers came across a ‘very traumatic scene’.
‘It was a very confused scene and there was a lot of debris, there were traumatised people already at the scene. Our colleagues will be provided with counselling services to deal with tragic circumstances,’ Mr Geraghty added.
A moment of silence was also held at a press conference at Milford garda station for the 10 people who died in the Creeslough explosion.
Seven people are in hospital in Donegal while one patient was transferred to a specialist burns unit hospital in Dublin.
Eight ambulances attended the scene on Friday and three attended on Saturday morning.
Four doctors and four ambulance officers were also involved.
Sniffer dogs and cranes are part of a search operation that has gone on throughout the night and into Saturday – with rescuers sometimes digging with their bare hands.
Fire and rescue services from nearby Northern Ireland were drafted in to help deal with the tragedy.
Nearby Letterkenny University Hospital moved to major emergency standby with eight people admitted after ‘a serious incident involving multiple injured people requiring immediate attention’.
They appealed to the public not to attend its emergency department unless it is urgent.
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.
Father John Joe Duffy took mass this morning at St Michael’s Church in Creeslough.
He said: ‘Our hearts are broken. This small community has been hit by a Tsunami of grief but the numbness is now starting to ease off and we are beginning to see if the enormity of the situation. There are no words for it.
Seven people have died with police still searching through rubble with cranes and sniffer dogs
Emergency search operation continues more than seven hours after the initial blast. Pictured: A crane assists in the search and rescue operation late on Friday
‘I’d like to thank the rescue services who have come from right across the island of Ireland and those members of the local community who were first on the scene to help despite not being sure of what the situation was and how much danger they were in themselves. I’m asking for prayers from people right across the country.
Local hotels also announced late on Friday evening that they were no longer taking bookings as they offered their rooms out to emergency services working throughout the night.
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.
Irish Premier Micheal Martin said his ‘thoughts and prayers’ were with the community and those who lost their lives in the tragic blast.
Mr Martin spoke to members of the emergency services who worked for 24 hours to locate victims following the devastating blast.
Speaking at the cordon of the blast site, Mr Martin said there was ‘deep sadness’ in the village and a ‘terrible silence’ reflecting the enormity of what has happened.
‘The entire nation is mourning and deeply saddened,’ he said.
‘A young child in the shop and two teens as well as men and women who were going about their lives as well.
‘It is a very close-knit community and our heart goes out to them.’
The Taoiseach added: ‘Talking to those on the front line and everyone involved, they were very moved by the extraordinary support they got from the community here almost immediately.
‘Many volunteers rushed to the scene to try and do everything they could to help because it was an horrific scene they came upon and we must always remember our emergency services.
‘I want to thank them for helping those who were trapped and injured. We must do everything we can to support the community.
‘Words on their own will not console someone who has lost a loved one and we have to be with them. We will be with them for quite some time.’
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Ireland’s main opposition party, also visited Creeslough on Saturday evening, as did the country’s deputy premier Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.
Dramatic pictures last night showed homes above the Ulster petrol station and convenience store left almost entirely hollowed out 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. The search and recovery for further fatalities continues.
‘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. Traffic diversions remain in place at this time.’
Horror images taken by passersby showed the damage at the Applegreen filling station in Creeslough
Homes above the Ulster petrol station and convenience store were pictured hollowed out by the blast
Rubble covered the ground as members of the public searched the scene for injured people
Multiple emergency service vehicles attended and a Coastguard helicopter also provided support. The NI Fire Service, Air Ambulance and paramedics from Northern Ireland dashed over the border to assist emergency services.
Brendan O’Connor, president of the Garda Representative Association, paid tribute to the fontline workers who ‘dug with their bare hands’ through the night.
He said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like the effort put in by the emergency services, north and south, those that dug with their bare hands, those who drove machines, and those who fed and watered us.
‘We have lost so many members of this small community that there really are no words.’
The Shandon Hotel in nearby Marblehill also announced it had stopped taking bookings for the night as it is making free rooms available for members of the emergency services.
Local Gardaí police and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) urged locals to avoid the area.
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister last night said he was thinking and praying for the community of Creeslough and across 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.
‘I hope no one is injured and they find the culprits,’ the minister tweeted. ‘One hopes this isn’t deliberate but it is yet to be clarified.’
Simon Coveney tweeted: ‘Thinking of and praying for the community of Cresslough and across Donegal tonight. Such a shocking and tragic day, continuing into tonight. Thank you to all emergency teams working together through 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.
‘It ripped right through this building, and this was a very busy location at that point in time,’ he said, explaining that the site holds the petrol station, deli counter, post office, shop and hairdressers for the area.
He said: ‘There’s just quiet, it’s surreal. People are just holding on for hope, holding on to hear news, positive news coming from the emergency services.’
Local councillor Donal Mandy Kelly said the news was ‘devastating’. He added: ‘My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.’
Independent Donegal councillor John O’Donnell said he was praying there were no fatalities.
‘What we’re hearing is there’s just absolute carnage in Creeslough at the moment, there’s a massive gas explosion,’ he told BBC Radio Ulster.
‘The feedback I’m getting from family and friends who are unfortunately down at the scene and in the area is just that the whole place is chaos at the minute, everybody’s very, very taken back and devastated of what’s happening.’
Multiple emergency service vehicles are in attendance and a Coastguard helicopter was also providing support
Local Gardaí police and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) urged locals to avoid the area
An Garda Siochana asked motorists travelling towards Creeslough to consider alternative routes
Some people remain ‘trapped’ in the rubble, according to Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty
Joe Barrett, the Applegreen Founder and Chief Executive which owned the petrol station, offered his ‘deepest condolences’ over the ‘hugely tragic event.
‘We are utterly shocked and saddened at what happened yesterday. I would also like to offer our thanks to the emergency services, and first responders, who are dealing with the incident.’
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.’
An Garda Siochana asked motorists travelling towards Creeslough to consider 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. Please avoid this area at the moment if possible.’
The Irish Coast Guard added at around 5pm: ‘The Irish Coast Guard is assisting emergency services at the scene of a major incident in Creeslough Co. Donegal.
‘The Sligo based Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 and the Mulroy Coast Guard team are assisting the operation.’