Top row left to right: Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father Robert Garwe, Leona Harper, Hugh Kelly, Jessica Gallagher. Bottom row left to right: Martin McGill, James O’Flaherty, Martina Martin, Catherine O’Donnell and son James Monaghan
The names of the 10 people killed in an explosion in Creeslough, County Donegal on Friday have been confirmed.
The victims include five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her dad Robert Garwe, 50.
Catherine O’Donnell, 39, and her son James Monaghan, 13, also lost their lives in the explosion.
Leona Harper, 14, Jessica Gallagher, 24, James O’Flaherty, 48, Martin McGill, 49, Martina Martin, 49 and Hugh Kelly, 59 also died.
On Sunday, An Garda Síochána confirmed a man in his 20s remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Seven other people who were injured in the explosion are still being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in stable condition.
‘They are all local people’
The investigation is continuing and the scene remains cordoned off.
Post-mortem examinations are taking place but the results will not be made public.
A police officer comforts people at the scene of the tragedy
During a press conference on Sunday, Supt Liam Geraghty said the incident has had a “huge impact” on the small, rural community.
“They are all local people, they are all very much involved in the local community, they were all people who were shopping in their local shop,” he said.
“We have very, very young children – the schools are going to be impacted, local GAA clubs are going to be impacted, the local church and general community is going to be severely impacted by this incident.
“But it is very strong community. So I’m sure the community will come together and will support each other.”
On Sunday, Bishop Alan McGuckian told Mass-goers that the people of Creeslough were “living through a nightmare” after the blast.
He said the disaster was one that “anybody could have been caught up in”.
“Why did they have to be there at that awful moment?” he asked.
Details have also been emerging of the operation to free those trapped in the rubble, involving both the emergency services and local people.
Dr Gerry Lane, a consultant in emergency medicine, told told RTÉ’s This Week programme that the entire building was “inherently unstable”.
“I saw people in shorts and flip flops wrenching corrugated iron away with their bare hands,” he said.
“Those people were heroic but were placing themselves in a great deal of danger.”
Dr Lane added that three of the rescue workers were injured over the course of Friday evening.
Image source, PA Media
Ten red candles were lit at St Michael’s church for the 10 victims of the explosion
JJ McGowan, the chief ambulance officer at the scene, described the conditions encountered by emergency teams.
“At one stage the fire service had constructed a small mouse hole in the wall, to get in to part of the scene.
“And all I could see was two of our boots sticking out of it, with the green trousers.
“And one of our lads in there trying to see what he could see, or see what he could find in through, what you could only describe as a mouse hole.”
Ten red candles have been lit inside the church in tribute to those who lost their lives in the explosion.
Over the coming days, communities across counties Donegal and neighbouring Tyrone will come together for vigils to send sympathy to all affected by the explosion.
Books of condolence are also opening across Northern Ireland.
