Mother and young son feared to be among NINE dead in Irish petrol station explosion

A mother and her young son are feared to be among at least nine people killed following a massive explosion at a petrol station in Ireland.

They had been inside the shop at the Applegreen service station in Creeslough, County Donegal, when a suspected gas blast tore through the building.

The mum and son had called in to the shop just after school had finished, locals told MailOnline today.

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 in Creeslough 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.

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.

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.

The death toll has risen to seven with more people missing after a horror petrol station explosion ripped through a quiet Irish village on Friday

Emergency workers in a cherry picker continue to search for the injured and missing at daybreak this morning on Saturday

A major incident has been declared after a gas explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal, north-western Ireland

‘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

The blast dealt extensive damage to the nearby apartment buildings attached to the same complex, burying the occupants under mounds of rubble

Emergency services were called in from nearby regions including across the border in Northern Ireland to help deal with the disaster and treat the injured

An emergency responder takes a break and walks away from the seen of destruction after a petrol station exploded on Friday 

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‘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!

‘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.’

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. 

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

Weary emergency responders on the scene of the petrol station gas blast in County Donegal

The death toll is expected to rise as number of people are still missing and many more injured.

The Irish Garda this morning confirmed another four fatalities overnight after three yesterday. 

Fire and rescue services from nearby Northern Ireland were drafted in to help deal with the tragedy.

The mayor of Derry said that the incident, which occurred at around 3pm on Friday, was a gas explosion. The impact caused adjacent apartment buildings to collapse, sparking a search and rescue operation with nervous locals watching on.

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.

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

Seven people have died with police still searching through rubble with cranes and sniffer dogs

Creeslough is a tiny village in the north of the republic about 30 miles from the border with the United Kingdom and 15 miles from Letterkenny, the nearest town. 

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.

‘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. 

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

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 last night said his ‘thoughts and prayers’ were with the community and those who lost their lives in the tragic blast. 

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

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 Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said his thoughts were with those affected by the ‘tragic events’.

The Tánaiste tweeted: ‘Terrible news from Donegal tonight. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events and with the emergency services responding.’

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.’

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

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

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.

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

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.’