New shop in Creeslough to be opened in coming weeks after explosion 

A member of An Garda Síochána walks past a newly erected wall at the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in Creeslough.

A new shop for the people of Creeslough in Co Donegal is to be opened in the coming weeks.

The Applegreen service station — where 10 people were killed following an explosion there earlier this month — was the only shop in the village.

But now the owners of the Applegreen service station said they were working to bring a new store to the village.

Work has already started at the site close to St Michael's Church in the village.

Danny Martin Lafferty and his sister Annette say they have been overwhelmed by the support they have received.

Both were on the scene when the explosion happened but miraculously escaped any serious injuries.

They said: "We have been working closely with our retail partner Nearby Ireland and S&W Wholesale on getting those much-needed services and essentials back into our community.

"We hope to have a store opened for you in the next few weeks.

We have been overwhelmed by the help, support and guidance from friends, strangers and the community of Creeslough to get it to this stage and we cannot thank you all enough. See you all soon."

A temporary container shop stocking essentials was opened for locals who made donations in return for vital food items such as milk and bread.

But it is now hoped the new shop will add another degree of normality to the community which has gone through so much in recent weeks.

The shell of the shop is already built and contractors are on site working around the clock to get it finished as soon as possible.

Parts of the previous Applegreen store continue to be taken away.

A full investigation into the cause of the tragedy is still ongoing, with both specialist Garda and Health and Safety Authority officials on site.

Last week, gardaí revealed 500 lines of enquiry have been actioned as they continue to investigate the explosion. 

On Thursday, gardaí successfully applied to the High Court to extend the time the tragic scene could be preserved under Section 5 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006. It was the second time an application was granted to extend the preservation of the scene.