Three people have been killed and a number of others have been injured after a major explosion destroyed a petrol station, police have confirmed.
The explosion happened at the Applegreen Service Station on the outskirts of the village of Creeslough, County Donegal, Ireland, just after 3pm today.
It sparked a major emergency plan at the nearby hospital, with medics understood to be treating a number of casualties there.
According to Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, there were still people trapped at the scene.
In a statement the Irish police force, An Garda Siochana, said: "An Garda Siochana continue to assist other emergency services at the scene of a serious ongoing incident that occurred at approximately 3:20pm on Friday, 7th October, 2022, at a premises on the N56 at Creeslough, County Donegal.
"This emergency response has been led by the Donegal County Council Fire Service with assistance by An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service, Irish Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Rescue 118 Helicopter, Irish Air Corps Medivac 112, Northern Ireland Ambulance HEMS, Irish Community Air Ambulance (Ground Crew), Northern Ireland Urban Search and Rescue, Meavagh Fire Service, Donegal Mountain Rescue, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HART team (Hazardous Area Response Team) and the Donegal County Council Civil Defence.
"At this time, An Garda Siochana can confirm there has been three fatalities as a result of this serious incident.
"This continues to be an ongoing operation and An Garda Siochana are not in a position to provide further information on casualties at this time.
"An Garda Siochana continue to request that any road users intending to travel to the Creeslough area for any reason consider alternative routes as emergency services continue to deal with this ongoing incident."
Images show the main part of the building, which also contains apartments and a shop, has been severely damaged by the explosion.
A number of cars that were lined up on the forecourt have also been damaged as a result of falling debris, with concerned onlookers left shocked at the destruction.
Emergency vehicles, including fire brigades and ambulances, swarmed the scene after reports of people being trapped, with the cause of the explosion not yet confirmed.
The Irish Coastguard also dispatched a rescue helicopter.
Local farmers’ tractors were reportedly on hand to help dig out some of the rubble.
Independent Donegal councillor John O'Donnell said he was praying there were no fatalities, hours before police confirmed the death of three people.
"What we're hearing is there's just absolute carnage in Creeslough at the moment, there's a massive gas explosion," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
"The feedback I'm getting from family and friends who are unfortunately down at the scene and in the area is just that the whole place is chaos at the minute, everybody's very, very taken back and devastated of what's happening."
Roads into the village have been cordoned off, the Irish Mirror reports, with the public urged to stay away.
One eyewitness tweeted: "Thoughts and prayers for the people of Creeslough, Co. Donegal.
"Apparently the local petrol station exploded.
"Hope everyone is ok."
Another local said they heard the explosion from 5km away.
One local woman told Independent.ie: "It's just awful. We don't really know what happened because we're down at the opposite end of the town, but it doesn't look good.
"The whole is town is closed up, all the roads are blocked and there's nobody going nowhere. There's nowhere to go."
A spokesperson for Letterkenny University Hospital confirmed tonight that it has stood down its emergency protocol.
They said: "Letterkenny University Hospital has tonight stood down its Major Emergency Standby protocol.
"The hospital continues to treat those injured in the incident at Creeslough, Co Donegal and remains on hand to provide all necessary medical assistance required.
"We continue to appeal to the public not to come to the Emergency Department unless it is an emergency. Please contact your GP or out of hours service in the first instance. NowDoc has increased staffing tonight to help deal with any additional demands."
Gardaí confirmed its officers were assisting other emergency services at the scene of a "serious incident" and asked drivers to avoid the area.
Meanwhile, a National Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "A number of ambulances are attending the scene of a serious incident at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal.
"Please avoid this area at the moment if possible."
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it is assisting fire crews from Donegal Fire Service at a “declared major incident” at the Applegreen service station in Cresslough, Co Donegal.
In a tweet, it said: “NIFRS are currently supporting colleagues from Donegal Fire Service to a declared major incident at Applegreen filling station, Cresslough, Co Donegal.
“NIFRS have dispatched the specialist rescue team along with specialist officers.”
A spokesperson for Applegreen added: "Applegreen is aware of a serious incident at its dealer-operated location at Creeslough in Co Donegal.
"Emergency services are on the scene and are dealing with the incident."
Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty described the explosion at the service station as “your worst nightmare”.
“This is a quiet village, a very close knit village, this is the only shop, it’s the petrol station, it’s the deli counter, it’s the post office, it’s where the hair dresser is, and at 3.15pm this afternoon a massive explosion that could be heard for miles around ripped right through this building, and it’s very sombre here,” he told the BBC.
“There are silent prayers being said, there are people still trapped within the building and the emergency services are doing everything that they can to remove the rubble, and people are being airlifted away to our hospitals in the region.
“This is a dark dark cloud over the entire community of Cresslough and further afield today as this scene unfolds before us.”
Chris MacManus, Sinn Féin MEP, echoed his thoughts and tweeted: "Thoughts are very much with the people of Cresslough this evening.
"Shocking pictures. Really hope everyone is okay. All the best to the emergency services working at the scene."
Fianna Fail councillor Anthony Molloy told the PA news agency it is “beyond words” as he knows the family who own the service station.
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved,” Mr Molloy said.
“It looks horrific from what I can see from photographs. It looks terrible. It’s just terrible.
“I know the family. It’s beyond words.”
Ireland’s deputy premier Leo Varadkar described the incident in Donegal as “tragic”.
In a post on Twitter, the Tanaiste wrote: “Terrible news from Donegal tonight.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events and with the emergency services responding.”
