The victims are: 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-5.
Kieran Gallagher, who lives around 150 metres from the scene, said the blast made him think of a “bomb”. (Read More Here).
“I was at home when I heard an explosion … it was like a bomb,” he told the BBC.
Irish Police, Fire, Ambulance and Coastguard Services, Northern Ireland Air Ambulance Service and a team of specialists from the British province worked through the night.
Emergency services remained on site into Saturday, using rescue dogs to look for more people. Letterkenny University Hospital, 15 miles from the incident, was placed in an emergency situation and said in a statement it was dealing with a “serious incident” and treating “multiple injuries”.
In a statement, Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin said his “thoughts and prayers [are] today with those who lost their lives and those who were injured in this devastating explosion”.
“Island residents will be struck with the same sense of shock and utter devastation as the people of Creeslough at this tragic loss of life,” he said, thanking emergency service members who worked “all night under extremely traumatic circumstances”.
In a statement on Twitter, Applegreen company said the news was “devastating”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the deceased, those who have been injured, and the wider Creeslough community,” they tweeted.
The company said that the supermarket and Applegreen outlet had been operated by local partners at “the heart of the community”.
“Like the rest of Ireland, tonight we stand in solidarity with that community”.
The village of Creelough, some fifty kilometres from the border with Northern Ireland, has about 400 inhabitants.
A man in his 20s is in a critical condition in hospital in Dublin, while seven other people are being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital and are described as being in a stable condition.
Tributes have been paid to Leona, with Letterkenny Rugby Club describing her as a “talented rugby player” and an “important part of our U14 girls’ team” in a post on their Facebook page.
Leona’s father Hugh wrote underneath the post: “The past 24 hours have been nothing short of hell.
“Leona loved rugby, although this year she was taking time out for boxing. But her first love was Letterkenny Rugby Club.”
Leona and fellow victim James Monaghan were pupils at Mulroy College, as were a number of those injured in the blast.
The school’s principal Fiona Temple said: “We as a school community are devastated on hearing of the tragedy and the fatal outcome for our two beautiful students and our cherished parents.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and the Creeslough community at this time.
“We are numbed by this overwhelming sadness and will work together to support all members of our school community in the coming days, weeks and months ahead.”
Post mortem examinations on the victims have started and will continue over the next few days, although results will not be released for “operational reasons”.
Mr Geraghty said: “It is a huge impact for a small rural community – they were all local people, all very much involved in the community, all shopping in their local shop.
“But it is a very strong community, as seen here on Friday afternoon… so I’m sure the community will come together and will support each other.”
Meanwhile, parents hugged their children as hundreds of people attended a vigil in the town of Milford, a half an hour’s drive from Creeslough, in memory of the 10 people who died.
Prayers were said and music was played, including a song called Creeslough, written and played by a local musician.
It is the first of almost 20 vigils due to be held across Co Donegal on Sunday.
It came after the Pope offered his condolences to the people of Ireland in the wake of the explosion.
A statement sent by his representative to Bishop of Raphoe Alexander McGuckian reads: “His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.
“While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty God, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.
“As a pledge of strength and peace in the lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.”
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