Two men arrested over Creeslough explosion tragedy released
Two men in their 50s who were arrested in connection with the fatal explosion at a service station in Co Donegal which claimed the lives of 10 people in 2022 have been released.
Four men, three women and three young people, with ages ranging from five to 59, died in the blast on the afternoon of Friday October 7 in the village of Creeslough.
Police investigating the explosion said the two men were arrested on Friday morning for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
In a statement, a Garda spokesman said the investigation into the fatal explosion continues, co-ordinated from Milford Garda station, where an incident room was established under a senior investigating officer.
The investigation continues to be led by local gardaí in the Donegal division, supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and other agencies, including the Health & Safety Authority and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities.
No planned or deliberate criminal activity is being investigated by the Garda in the case. Instead, the manner in which the gas system was being run and maintained is at the centre of the criminal investigation.
Garda investigators have worked alongside health and safety personnel and specialists in explosion inquiries to try to determine exactly how the blast occurred and the reasons for it.
They have examined the condition of the gas-delivery system, from source to point of use in each apartment in the vicinity of the service station, on the day of the explosion in a bid to pinpoint how the tragedy occurred.
The system includes all the infrastructure that stored the gas, delivered it for use through pipes into each unit in the block where the explosion occurred and the infrastructure at the point of use in each apartment.
It is understood the two suspects are from the local area.
They are being investigated for endangerment, which is defined in legislation as intentionally or recklessly engaging in conduct “which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.”
