Ten people, including a child and two teens, were killed after a gas station explosion in a small village in northwest Ireland on Friday, authorities said.
According to police in Creeslough, County Donegal, the fatalities included four men, three women, a teenage boy and girl, and a girl who was of elementary school age, the BBC reported.
The explosion happened at an Applegreen service station in Creeslough on Friday at about 3:15 p.m. local time, according to the news organization.
Gardaí confirm that among the 10 dead in yesterday’s tragedy in Creeslough are four men, three women, a teenage boy, a teenage girl, and another younger girl | More: https://t.co/tMXfWXGSiY pic.twitter.com/haKKZgpaf7
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 8, 2022
Eight people were hospitalized, The Associated Press reported.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin called the explosion an “unspeakable tragedy.”
“The entire nation is shocked at what has happened,” Martin said in a statement.
The blast destroyed the gas station and a portion of adjacent apartment buildings, causing some of them to collapse, according to The Guardian. The site also contains a post office, a store and hairdressers, RTE News reported.
“This is a tragedy for our community,” Superintendent David Kelly of Milford garda station said, according to the news organization. “There are families left devastated.
“I would like (to) say as well, and forgive me if I get a bit emotional because you are dealing with the public. At this point in time, we have to keep an open mind in how we investigate this, but our information at this point in time is pointing towards a tragic accident.
“The search and recovery for further fatalities continues,” police said, according to the AP. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
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