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Saturday, March 1, 2025

Ten dead after Donegal petrol station explosion

Ten people have died after a huge explosion at a petrol station in the Republic of Ireland.

Four men, three women, a teenage boy and girl and a younger girl were killed, said gardaĆ­ (Irish police).

The blast happened at the Applegreen service station in the County Donegal village of Creeslough on Friday.

It destroyed the building and a section of an apartment block, with police saying the evidence gathered so far suggested it was a tragic accident.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) MicheĆ”l Martin described the explosion as an ā€œenormous traumaā€.

ā€œThe entire nation is shocked at what has happened,ā€ he said during a visit to the scene on Saturday evening.

Seven people who were hurt are in a stable condition in hospital in nearby Letterkenny.

Another person is critically ill in the burns unit of a hospital in Dublin.

Early on Saturday evening An Garda SƭochƔna (the Irish police force) said a search and rescue operation had ended with no more causalities found.

Emergency service crews from Northern Ireland had been sent across the border to help their Irish counterparts deal with the aftermath of the blast.

The taoiseach described the rescue mission as a demonstration of ā€œsolidarity and community valuesā€.

ā€˜Tsunami of griefā€™

Creeslough is a small village in the north-west of Ireland, about 15 miles (24km) from Letterkenny and 30 miles (48km) from the border with Northern Ireland.

It has a population of about 400 people.

Mass was held in the village church on Saturday morning, during which Father John Joe Duffy told the congregation their community had been hit by ā€œa tsunami of griefā€.

Catholic Bishop Alan McGuckian described Friday as the ā€œdarkest day in Donegalā€.

ā€œI have witnessed at first hand the immediate reaction of the local community to the tragedy who, in their bravery, took risks at the site to help others even to the detriment of their own safety,ā€ he said.

At a service of remembrance on Saturday night he lit a candle for each of the victims of the explosion.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss sent her sympathy to the Donegal community ā€œas they come together in their moment of griefā€, while Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer praised people who had ā€œbravely [rushed] to the scene to helpā€.

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