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The site of the explosion in Creeslough.
Donegal

Two men arrested in relation to fatal Creeslough explosion released without charge

The explosion happened at an Applegreen service station in Creeslough on 7 October, 2022.

TWO MEN ARRESTED in relation to the 2022 explosion at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal, that killed 10 people have been released without charge.

Gardaí said yesterday they had arrested two men (both aged in their 50s) for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

“Both men are currently detained under the provisions of section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at separate Garda stations in County Donegal,” a spokesperson said in a statement yesterday.

The men have since been released without charge.

“The investigation led by gardaí in Donegal Division is ongoing with the intention of submitting a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” gardaí said in a statement.

Ten people, including three children, were killed in the blast at the Applegreen service station in Creeslough on 7 October, 2022.

Gardaí said that the investigation was being coordinated from Milford Garda station, where an Incident Room has been established under the direction of a Garda Senior Investigating Officer (SIO).

“The investigation continues to be led by local Gardaí in Donegal Division, supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and other agencies, including the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) & the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU),” gardaí said in a statement.

The explosion occurred just after 3pm in the afternoon on Friday, 7 October, in the busy service station.

The 10 people who died in the tragedy were: Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; fashion student Jessica Gallagher; Celtic fan Martin McGill; Sydney native James O’Flaherty; Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; shop worker Martina Martin; 14-year-old Leona Harper; and carpenter Hugh Kelly.