Ten people lost their lives and eight were injured in the blast. Irish police, known as the Gardai, confirmed the incident occurred at a gas station in County Donegal, in the northwest of Ireland, on a Friday. The tragedy sent shockwaves through Creeslough, a small town that now bears the weight of a sudden, devastating event.
Among the deceased were four boys, three women, a teenage boy and a girl, and a young child. Rescue and salvage teams continued their work amid the ruins as dawn broke, with crews facing a grim, long night of discovery and assessment.
The explosion collapsed the gas station structure and damaged nearby apartments, leaving the community in a state of disbelief. Creeslough, located roughly 50 kilometers from the border with Northern Ireland, became the center of folk memory and international attention as investigators began to piece together what happened.
The scene showed seven confirmed fatalities as emergency services remained on site through the night. Emergency responders and medical teams were pulling together in a coordinated effort to manage the aftermath and support those affected, while authorities worked to establish a clear account of the sequence that led to the explosion. The footage and reports from the scene highlighted the scale of the disaster and the urgency of the response, as reported by RTÉ News.
The owner of the station, Applegreen, issued a formal statement expressing that the incident was devastating. The company extended thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of those who died, the injured, and the Creeslough community, underscoring a commitment to support the town as it copes with this loss. This response reflected a common practice among national businesses when tragedy strikes local communities.
The prime minister of Ireland, Micheál Martin, offered condolences to the victims and to all residents of the country on what was described as an especially dark day for Donegal and for Ireland overall. His remarks emphasized solidarity with the Creeslough community and recognized the profound impact of such a loss across the island, noting that the people of this nation share the shock and grief felt in Creeslough on this tragic day. The government indicated that it would stand with those affected as the investigation and the path to recovery move forward, as conveyed in official statements following the incident.