There are fears of multiple fatalities after a massive explosion destroyed a service station in a village in the north of the Irish Republic. Rescue efforts were underway tonight (Friday) to try save several people who were still trapped inside the petrol station in the tiny village of Creeslough, Do Donegal.
Specialist digging equipment was sifting through the rubble of the Applegreen service station, as a number of badly injured were rushed to hospital. Nightlights were drafted in as an overnight search started following reports of a number of missing people.
The drama unfolded shortly after 3pm in the busy village of Creeslough, Do Donegal, when locals were shook to their core following the huge explosion. It is still not known the exact cause of the explosion which destroyed the Applegreen Service Station
UPDATE: At least three people dead as search and rescue operation continues.
Reports locally have suggested a gas link but this has not been confirmed as of yet. The force was so strong that it shattered windows in a number of nearby buildings.
Eye witnesses said people rushed to the scene. The service station is owned by the local Lafferty family, a well-known and respected family from the area.
Mr Danny Martin Lafferty runs the shop while his sister Annette operates the post office just adjacent to the service station. Neither were injured in the blast.
The complex, which sits at the entrance to the village coming from the Termon direction, houses a number of other small businesses including a hairdressing salon. From pictures taken just moments after the blast there was no fire at the scene of the explosion.
The complex also contains several apartments above the service station's shop which house a number of young families. Large parts of the facade of the upstairs apartment complex was ripped off during the explosion.
LIVE: Emergency services rush to Applegreen after major explosion
Inside passers-by could see beds and pictures hanging from walls. The time of the explosion coincided with the return of many schoolchildren, many of whom finish early on a Friday afternoon.
The emergency services rushed to the scene of the incident with ambulances coming from as far away as Northern Ireland to aid their colleagues in Donegal. The nearest hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital, launched its Major Emergency Plan, as a result of the explosion as those injured in the blast were ferried the 20 kilometres for treatment.
A spokesperson for the hospital said: "Letterkenny University Hospital is dealing with a serious incident, with multiple injured people requiring immediate attention. The hospital has moved to Major Emergency Standby as it deals with this incident.
"We are appealing to the public not to come to the Emergency Department unless it is an emergency. Please contact your GP or NOW doc service in the first instance. NowDoc has increased staffing this evening to help deal with any additional demands."
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service sent a Specialist Rescue team along with Specialist Officers to the scene. The Northern Ireland Air ambulance and the North’s ambulance service are also providing assistance as well as the Rescue 118 helicopter from Sligo.
One local man who lives just a kilometre from the scene said he was thrown from his seat as he worked at his desk.
"I couldn't believe the power of it and I didn't know what had happened. We drove into town and it was just carnage. There were no ambulances or Gardai at the scene at that stage because it had literally just happened.
"I saw one person on the ground and they looked as if they were dead. Miraculously we saw another man in the upstairs apartment and he actually wasn't uninjured at all and he came down on a ladder."
Gardai set up a roadblock to keep people away from the scene for fear of any further explosions. Digging equipment was then sent to the scene as it became clear that a number of local people are unaccounted for.
UPDATE: At least three people dead as search and rescue operation continues.
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