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Man and woman, 40s, arrested over fatal Creeslough explosion that killed 10 people as pair quizzed by cops
The pair are being quizzed at separate Garda stations
TWO people have been arrested in connection with the tragic Creeslough explosion.
Ten people died in the Co Donegal village after the catastrophic blast in an apartment beside a filling station two years ago.
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Gardai confirmed today that a man and a woman, both aged in their 40s, were arrested for "alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997."
The arrests were made this morning in the ongoing investigation into the explosion at the Applegreen service station and apartment building on October 10 2022.
The pair are currently being quizzed by detectives at separate Garda station in Co Donegal.
The victims of the Creeslough tragedy ranged in age from five to 59.
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James O’Flaherty, Leona Harper, Martin McGill, Hugh Kelly, Jessica Gallagher, Martina Martin, Catherine O’Donnell and her son James Monaghan, Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe all lost their lives in the tragedy.
In a statement this morning, a Garda spokesperson confirmed that the investigation into the fatal explosion continues.
It is co-ordinated from Milford Garda Station where an incident room is established under the direction of a Garda Senior Investigating Officer.
A Garda spokesperson said: "The investigation continues to be led by local Gardai, 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).
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"This morning, Monday 27th May 2024, investigating Gardaí have arrested 2 persons (a man and a woman aged in their 40’s) for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin says the Creeslough families coming to terms with their loss must be given space and time to grieve
"Both are currently detained under the provisions of section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at separate Garda stations in County Donegal.
"A Garda Spokesperson is not available at this time."
Last month, grieving families slammed plans to build a shop on the site of the explosion.
And a devastated mum whose 14-year-old girl died in the blast, said: "The thought of concrete being poured over where our daughter took her last breath is heartbreaking."
New plans for the reconstruction of the service station are moving forward with a large shop building and pumps at the centre of the site.
Families of the victims were notified of the intentions of the site owners in March, sparking heartbreak and anger amongst those still in mourning who have repeatedly called for a memorial garden to be developed there instead.
A memorial area of ten lighted poles at the roadside to commemorate the lives lost in the explosion are part of the proposed development.
But Donna Harper, the mum of 14-year-old victim Leona, said the thought of a new shop on a "very sacred holy piece of ground" is unbearable to think of.
She said: "Families have stated, not just myself and my husband, that this needs to be a memorial place that families can go to, whether it’s a memorial park with benches and trees, and maybe a nice thing with the 10 people’s names on it.
"Just to be told this is what they are doing, I can’t put the hurt and pain and suffering into words."
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