‘It’s broken heart of our community’

People faced with ‘tsunami of grief’ says priest

- STEPHEN MAGUIRE and SYLVIA POWNALL

CARNAGE IN CREESLOUGH: BLAST LEAVES VILLAGE DEVASTATED

• 400 Population of tiny Creeslough village in Co Donegal

THE heart has been torn out of Creeslough after Friday’s explosion, a local priest said yesterday. 

Fr Joe Duffy added the devastation at the Applegreen service station was unlike anything ever experienced in the close-knit Co Donegal village.

And he said he feared the worst was to still to come as the devastated community comes to terms with the loss.

All 10 victims are believed to have lived locally which has a population of around 400 people.

Fr Duffy said: “I am just worried as the days and weeks unfold. It’s so surreal and unreal.

“It’s just heartbreaking and terrible. It was like a movie unfolding before our eyes. Nobody expected something like this. It has broken the heart of our community.”

Fr Duffy confirmed he had spoken with families who had lost loved ones in the explosion which rocked the village just after 3.15pm.

He paid tribute to all those who helped in any way, especially the emergency services who remain at the scene.

And he asked the nation to keep Creeslough and its people in their thoughts. He added: “I ask you to keep us in your prayers. It will be tough in the days, weeks and months ahead.”