The death toll from an explosion at a gas station in northwestern Ireland has risen to 10, including two teenagers and a young child, police said Saturday.
Officials initially announced three people had died in the blast in the village of Creeslough, County Donegal, in the aftermath of Friday afternoon's explosion.
Since then, an additional seven victims have been found, Superintendent Dave Kelly of the An Garda Siochana told reporters at a Saturday news conference.
The death toll from an explosion at a gas station in Ireland has risen to 10, including two teens and a child https://t.co/i5ueXlvQup
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Eight people, including the child victims, have been hospitalized, with one transferred to a hospital in Dublin in critical condition, while the other seven victims are are in stable condition, he said.
Those killed include four men and three women, along with a teenage boy and girl as well as a younger girl.
While search and rescue operations remained underway, no one else is unaccounted for following the blast, which destroyed the service station building and as well as an adjoining apartment building on the outskirts of the village, located about 155 miles northwest of Dublin.
An investigation into the explosion is underway, but initial signs point an accidental cause, authorities said.
"This is a tragic time for the people and community of Creeslough and the surrounding areas," said Paul Harper, deputy chief fire officer for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service.
"Our thoughts remain with those who have been injured and the community as they recover and grieve," he said in a statement. "We are also thinking of our colleagues in Donegal Fire Service who led this response and the other emergency responders who assisted at the scene."
7 Dead, More Fatalities Expected After Explosion At Gas Station In Ireland https://t.co/vG3tUT6M4d
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Local firefighters responding to the scene used specialist search and rescue equipment and worked with other emergency services into the early hours of Saturday morning in the hope of rescuing survivors trapped in the rubble, Harper said.
The influx of explosion victims caused Letterkenny University Hospital in Donegal to discharge some patients to make room for the arrivals, a hospital spokesman told The Irish Times.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
