Donegal explosion: Girl, 5, and two teenagers among 10 killed in petrol station blast as all victims named
All 10 deceased victims of a petrol station explosion in Ireland have been named, including a five-year-old girl and two teenagers.
Applegreen service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal, collapsed in a “tragic accident” on Friday said police, who are still investigating the deadly blast.
On Sunday, police identified the victims as; James O Flaherty, 48; Jessica Gallagher, 24; Martin McGill, 49; Catherine O Donnell, 39, and her son James Monaghan, 13; Hugh Kelly, 59; Martina Martin, 49; Robert Garwe, 50 and his daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five; Leona Harper, 14.
Shauna, who is said to have just started school, had reportedly gone to the shop with her father to buy a birthday cake for her mother when they were both killed.
A man in his 20s remains in critical condition in St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.
It comes as more than £140,000 worth of donations have been made to victims of the disaster.
Gerard McFadden – who lives in Australia but is originally from Creeslough – set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for the victims and their next-of-kin. At the time of writing, the amount raised passed €160,000.
“I would like to raise as much funds as possible to help the families of the deceased and injured through these challenging times ahead,” he wrote. “Thoughts and prayers are with the families and all the community.”
From Monday, people can make donations to the Creeslough Community Support Fund at almost 1,000 post offices in Ireland, the Irish postal service An Post announced.
The funds would be channelled through the Irish Red Cross to provide help to those bereaved, injured or made homeless by the explosion, it said.
The company said in a statement: “The An Post board, management and staff across Ireland send their deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to all those who have lost loved ones in the Cresslough tragedy, to those who are injured, to the Postmistress and Post Office staff and all the Creeslough community.
“An Post will accept donations for a special Creeslough Community Support Fund at all its 920 Post Offices nationwide from this Monday, 10 October.
“All donations by cash or debit card will be channelled through the Irish Red Cross to provide practical support and services to all those who have been bereaved, injured or made homeless by Friday’s tragedy. There will be no fee payable for making donations.
“An Post and the Irish Red Cross will work with state service providers and local groups to ensure that supports are available to all those who need them in the weeks and months ahead.”
The entire nation is in mourning and is “deeply saddened” by the tragedy, said Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who visited the site of the explosion on Saturday evening.
Catherine O’Donnell, 39, and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan were both killed
Mr Martin thanked the emergency services for their “extraordinary” work.
He added: “It is a very close-knit community and our heart goes out to them.”
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and the party’s deputy leader Michelle O’Neill also visited Creeslough on Saturday evening, as did the country’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar.
Leona Harper, 14, was a local rugby player
Jessica Gallagher, 24, also died in the explosion
