An Australian husband and father has been named as one of the victims of a blast at a petrol station in Ireland that killed 10 people.
James O’Flaherty, 48, originally from Sydney, died in the explosion that occurred at the Applegreen petrol station on the outskirts of the village of Creeslough about 3pm local time on Friday.
James O’Flaherty, 48, originally from Sydney, died in a blast at the Applegreen petrol station on the outskirts of the village of Creeslough in Ireland on Friday.
O’Flaherty was living in the small town of Dunfanaghy, on the north coast of County Donegal.
A death notice for O’Flaherty said he leaves behind a wife and son and will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
A five-year-old girl as well as two teenagers were among the dead. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Overnight, Ireland’s police force, An Garda Síochána, released a statement with the names and photos of all 10 people killed.
Emergency services work at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough, in County Donegal, Ireland, on Saturday.Credit:PA
“The remains of the deceased are at Letterkenny University Hospital where State Post Mortems have commenced under the direction of Dr Heidi Okkers, Assistant State Pathologist,” the statement read.
“These Post Mortems will continue over the next few days.”
The explosion was so large it damaged an adjacent apartment building and shattered the windows of nearby cottages.
One male in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St. James Hospital in Dublin, while seven others continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital in a stable condition.
Two women console one another at the scene of the Applegreen service station explosion in Creeslough, Ireland.Credit:Getty Images
The 10 fatalities included four men, three women, two teenagers – one male and one female – and the young girl.
Police Superintendent David Kelly told a news conference that early evidence “is pointing toward a tragic accident”.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the incident was an unspeakable tragedy for a small community of just a few hundred people.
“People across this island will be numbed by the same sense of shock and utter devastation as the people of Creeslough at this tragic loss of life,” Martin said in a statement late on Friday.
“I wish to express my deepest sympathies to their family, and friends, and to the entire community of Creeslough, on this darkest of days for Donegal and the entire country.”
Bernard Doherty, who lives nearby and knew all but one of the victims, told national broadcaster RTE that he and others began clearing rubble with tractors and trailers before the Irish Coast Guard and a specialist rescue team from nearby Northern Ireland joined emergency services at the scene.
“Rubble had been blown across the forecourt as far as the road. There was everything from tin to blocks, floor slabs, contents from the shop just lying around the place,” he said, adding that one person was pulled out alive.
“About 20 seconds after landing on the scene, we knew what was ahead.”
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