Police have now named all 10 victims of the explosion that ripped through an Irish petrol station on Friday afternoon. Dubbed a 'freak accident', the gas blast devastated the Applegreen service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal, along with a convenience store and adjacent buildings.
In a news conference earlier today, those who died in the tragedy were named 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, aged five, and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
Talented rugby player, Leona, was the first victim to be named as her family and teammates paid tribute. Her father, Hugh, and mum, Donna, described the past 24 as "hell" while her brother Anthony said he "couldn't have asked for a better sister," reports The Mirror.
READ MORE: Hotel linked to three deaths in a few months 'open for business as usual' amid growing concerns
Dad Hugh said: "The past 24 hours have been nothing short of hell. "Unfortunately Leona was in the explosion in Cresslough and she didn't survive, along with nine others."
On Facebook, her brother Anthony shared photos of his "little sister." He wrote: "I don't no where to begin, Leona I couldn't have asked for a better little sister.
"You would go mad for me putting this up of you now because it's an old picture of you. Leona I love you so much and we all love you so much xx."
The youngest victim, Shauna Flanagan Garwe, aged five, and her dad Robert Garwe, 50, had gone to the shop to buy her mum a birthday cake. Mum and son, Catherine O'Donnell, 39, and her 13-year-old boy, James Monaghan, were also killed after nipping to the shop after school together.
Design student Jessica Gallagher, 23, had only just moved back to her hometown of Creeslough after living in Paris. She walked into the shop with her boyfriend and never came back out.
Her boyfriend was one of eight causalities airlifted to hospital on Friday night, and was being treated for severe burns. Irish police said a man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St James's Hospital in Dublin.
On Sunday, Hugh Kelly, a farmer and Martin McGill, were named locally. It is thought Martina Martin, 49, worked as a shopkeeper, according to tributes on social media.
Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition. Rescue teams worked around the clock over the weekend to save people following the explosion which shook the small town just after 3.20pm.
Locals formed a human chain to remove debris as they could hear cries for help from beneath the rubble. Sniffer dogs and a crane were used to navigate through the wreckage and find people who had been caught in the blast.
A GoFundMe page launched by a Creeslough native based in Australia has also raised €157,943 for the victims families. Gerard McFadden, who calls the small village his hometown, but now lives in Brisbane, said waking up to the news on Friday was 'devastating'.
He wrote: "I woke up this morning to the devastating news that an explosion in Applegreen garage has claimed multiple fatalities and injury’s in my home town of Creeslough Co Donegal Ireland. I would like to raise as much funds as possible to help the families of the deceased and injured through these challenging times ahead."
Read Next:
