Safety concerns delayed fatal blast search, council says

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal gas explosion in Killarney, Co Kerry, at the weekend did not immediately carry out a search of the scene because of safety concerns for their personnel.

A Kerry County Council spokesman said there were concerns about the stability of the ruins after the massive blast.

Some disquiet had been voiced about a delay of almost six hours in conducting a search near the scene of the explosion at a town centre launderette, which resulted in the death of the owner, James Gleeson, 59, on Saturday.