Donegal explosion: Ten people killed in petrol station blast as death toll rises

‘Search and recovery for further fatalities continues,’ police say

Ten people - including two teenagers and a young girl - have been confirmed dead after an explosion at a petrol station in Ireland.

Four men and three women were also among those killed, according to police.

The Irish premier said the nation was in mourning after a blast ripped through a service station and nearby buildings in County Donegal on Friday.

On Saturday, police said the death toll had risen from three to seven overnight and officials said they expected the number to increase as the search operation continued.

By the afternoon, the number of casualties had risen to 10.

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People in Ireland are “shocked and numbed” after the deadly explosion in the northwest, according to a local politician.

The explosion tore through Applegreen service station and convenience store in the village of Creeslough in County Donegal on Friday afternoon. Nearby buildings were also hit by the blast.

A major emergency response operation followed involving teams from both sides of the Irish border. It lasted through the night and emergency services continued to work at the scene on Saturday morning.

Emergency services are continuing their work at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station (PA)

Sniffer dogs are being used amid the rubble.

Relatives of people believed to have been in buildings at the time of the explosion rushed to the scene on Friday.

At one point, all machinery was turned off and onlookers were asked to remain completely silent as rescue workers attempted to detect survivors beneath the debris.

The cause of the explosion has not been revealed.

Michael Martin, the Irish premier, said he expects the death toll to rise even further.

He said seven confirmed deaths was a “shocking number” but added “there will be more”.

The explosion damaged nearby buildings (PA)

“It’s a search operation now and we hope and pray,” the premier said on Saturday. “It has been a very, very terrible 24 hours for them as news of this explosion arrived.

He added: “Many families will go through and are going through a terrible trauma right now and we have to rally around and I know the community will rally around, I know all the people in the vicinity of the community that will rally around.”

Mr Martin said the whole nation was in mourning for the people of Creeslough.

Emergency services rushed to the scene following the blast at the service station (PA)

“It is absolutely devastating and quite shocking in terms of the enormity of this tragedy, the scale of it. An explosion ripping through the normality of a community, with people going to the shop, the normal toing and froing of life,” he told RTE Radio 1.

Charlie McConalogue, the TD for Donegal, said on Saturday people were “shocked and numbed” by the events.

“The scenes from the event are reminiscent of the images from the Troubles years ago, in terms of the scene on the ground and the damage and the debris,” the minister told Irish broadcaster RTE.

Police have updated the death toll for the explosion in County Donegal (PA)

“People have been rallying together and everyone’s concern is with the families of those who have lost their loved ones and how they can support them in the days ahead.

“The work that went on overnight by the emergency services, which has a very challenging job, deserves an immense respect.”

Mr McConalogue described Creeslough as a “small, tight-knit” community.

“It’s also very well-known in the county,” he added. “It’s on the main N56 route which runs right around our county so many people pass through it and the shop is very well known and the heart of that community.”

Additional reporting by Press Association