Tragic news.
An Garda Síochána have confirmed the identities of 10 people who died as a result of a fatal explosion at a petrol station in Donegal on Friday (7 October).
The explosion occurred around 3pm at a petrol station in Creeslough.
With consent of the families, An Garda Síochána confirmed the identities of the deceased during a press conference on Sunday.
James O Flaherty, 48 years
Jessica Gallagher, 24 years
Martin McGill, 49 years
Catherine O Donnell, 39 years and her son, James Monaghan, 13 years
Hugh Kelly, 59 years
Martina Martin, 49 years
Robert Garwe, 50 years and his daughter
Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 5 years
Leona Harper, 14 years.
Garda Family Liaison Officers have been appointed to the families and are continuing to provide support and information.
Gardaí continue to investigate all the circumstances in the fatal explosion, and the Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off.
Traffic diversions on the N56 at the scene of the incident remain in place.
The remains of the deceased are at Letterkenny University Hospital where State Post Mortems have commenced under the direction of Dr. Heidi Okkers, Assistant State Pathologist.
These post mortems will continue over the next few days. Results will not be released for operational reasons.
A man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St. James Hospital, Dublin.
The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in stable condition.
In a statement following the explosion, Applegreen’s founder and chief executive Joe Barrett described it as a “hugely tragic event” and offered the company’s deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who died and to the community of Creeslough.
“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,” he added.
“We have been working with our local partners in Creeslough since 2014. We are providing them with assistance and support locally at this very difficult time.
“The Applegreen in Creeslough is at the very heart of the village and contains the local post office and supermarket.
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with the people of Creeslough. Today we mourn those who have lost their lives alongside the entire country.
“We will continue to assist and support our partners, and the wider Creeslough community, in the days and weeks ahead.”
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