Petrol station explosion in Donegal

[Earthdweller]

Breaking news in Ireland .. multiple casualties reported

Forecourt with a shop attached in Co Donegal

https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2022/1007/1327825-e...

[Beyond Rational]

Building behind looks more blown out than in and no fire. Wonder if it was a gas explosion that happened to be next to a petrol station.

[Earthdweller]

THERE are fears of multiple fatalities after a massive explosion destroyed a service station in Co Donegal.

Rescue efforts are underway to try save several people who are understood to still be trapped inside.


https://www.independent.ie/news/donegal-explosion-...

[dvs_dave]

Beyond Rational said:

Building behind looks more blown out than in and no fire. Wonder if it was a gas explosion that happened to be next to a petrol station.

That’s what it looks like. Gas explosion in the building behind it. A gasoline explosion of that magnitude would require one of the in-ground tanks to have breached and an ensuing and ongoing inferno.

[coanda]

Agree, it looks like a gas explosion.

As a related aside, a friend recently brought to my attention the number of gas related incidents happening and wondered if they were on the increase. Maybe she started noticing them more in the news or maybe the news is showing more of them to keep up the doom scrolling, or maybe they are on the increase.

[gotoPzero]

Looks shared business / resi the upper floor looks like flats.

Suspect thats where the issue came from. As no fire it does look like a gas leak.

[confucuis]

Horrible situation, God help anyone caught up in it.

The Donegal Harvest rally is on this weekend, tragically the place would have been fairly busy I'd say

[frisbee]

I was once getting a snack from the petrol station across the road from where I worked and a woman pulled up to the pumps in a VW Beetle that was on fire.

Female logic at it's finest!

[SWoll]

frisbee said:

I was once getting a snack from the petrol station across the road from where I worked and a woman pulled up to the pumps in a VW Beetle that was on fire.

Female logic at it's finest!

Indeed, men have never been known to do anything stupid at petrol stations.

[Earthdweller]

confucuis said:

Horrible situation, God help anyone caught up in it.

The Donegal Harvest rally is on this weekend, tragically the place would have been fairly busy I'd say

The Donegal Harvest rally, along with all sports in the County have been postponed following this tragedy

it does seem to be a gas blast.

There are seven confirmed fatalities this morning and a number of people unaccounted for including children

One good thing to see is the combined response to it, not just from the ROI abut also including from the NI Ambulance service and their HART team plus specialist urban search teams from NI as well as the NI HEMS and hospitals in the North

Nice to see everyone pull together in what must be a real horrific tragedy for a small community

Edited by Earthdweller on Saturday 8th October 08:20

[scenario8]

You don’t hear of very many incidents at petrol stations. At least I can’t recall many. This is quite clearly a catastrophic event so does make me wonder what on Earth could have happened.

What a tragedy.

[Earthdweller]

Just gets worse .. now ten confirmed dead including three children with the death toll expected to rise further

Doubt there’ll be a family in the area untouched by it

[Leins]

An awful thing to happen, and I just hope the news doesn’t keep getting worse for the poor families involved

[RammyMP]

Earthdweller said:

Just gets worse .. now ten confirmed dead including three children with the death toll expected to rise further

Doubt there’ll be a family in the area untouched by it

Jesus! The Inlaws used to have a holiday home in Dunfanaghy, lovely part of the world and I agree with you, there won’t be a family unaffected.

Tragic.

[Mortarboard]

An aunt of mine is originally from Creeslough. So could well be a relative or two affected.

M.

[Nimby]

scenario8 said:

You don’t hear of very many incidents at petrol stations.

While the Mrs was filling up at Sainsbury's this week the hose suddenly split where it enters the nozzle. Pump didn't cut off and petrol sprayed everywhere - she couldn't see to get the nozzle back in the pump but someone ran to the kiosk and they did an emergency shutdown. Luckily no fire ...

[RammyMP]

Nimby said:

While the Mrs was filling up at Sainsbury's this week the hose suddenly split where it enters the nozzle. Pump didn't cut off and petrol sprayed everywhere - she couldn't see to get the nozzle back in the pump but someone ran to the kiosk and they did an emergency shutdown. Luckily no fire ...

I did that once in Portugal with my youngest in the car, petrol pissed everywhere. I got her out the car and moved it away from the pump then went in to pay. By the time I got back to the car the petrol had evaporated.

It worried me as all the locals fill their car whilst smoking a tab!

[normalbloke]

scenario8 said:

You don’t hear of very many incidents at petrol stations. At least I can’t recall many. This is quite clearly a catastrophic event so does make me wonder what on Earth could have happened.

What a tragedy.

I think the petrol station is just the ‘headline grabber’ here. They almost never blow up, far too many safety systems and checks in place and enforced upon them. Even significant fires almost never happen. This is most likely a gas leak in the domestic properties behind and above the forecourt, with the canopy and forecourt being in the firing line, but making for the best headline.

[Sir Bagalot]

This is a part of the world that doesn't have mains Gas. Gas is stored in Canisters.

If you want to replace or buy a new canister then it's usually the local petrol station that will sell you one. They usually have them all stored together in a metal cage.

[ArmaghMan]

Pure conjecture here, but the gent is correct. No mains gas within 50 miles of here.
Talk of apartments which MAY have been fed from bulk tanks ( usually below ground but not always).
Would need a serious amount of cylinders to do that sort of damage.
Whatever caused it, dreadful for all those involved.