A petrol station explosion that killed ten people in Ireland caused a lot of sympathy in the country over the weekend. "People in Cresslough are going through a nightmare of shock and horror," Irish broadcaster RTÉ quoted a cleric as saying on Sunday in the tranquil town in the far northwest of Ireland, where the incident took place on Friday.

The magnitude of the explosion must have been enormous. The rescue workers, who rushed in in large numbers, were presented with a picture of the destruction. The gas station and several adjacent buildings were partially badly damaged, as can be seen in photos. How many people had lost their lives in the process only gradually became clear.

At first there was talk of three deaths. In the course of Saturday, however, the number was corrected upwards several times. According to the police, four men, three women, two teenagers and a girl of primary school age were among the dead. Eight people are said to have been taken to hospital with injuries, one of them in critical condition.

The explosion was probably a "tragic accident," a police spokesman said on Saturday. However, investigations into the cause continued. According to the police, no other people were missing and no further victims are expected.

Ireland's Prime Minister Michael Martin expressed his condolences to the relatives and those affected. Irish President Michael D. Higgins called the incident a "tragedy that comes as a terrible blow to a close-knit community where every loss and hurt is felt by everyone and far beyond."