Man arrested in connection with Creeslough explosion

A man in his 60s has been arrested in connection with the Creeslough explosion which killed 10 people in October 2022.

The man was arrested on Thursday morning for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and is being detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Garda North Western Region.

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan-Garwe and her father, Robert Garwe (50) lost their lives, as did Catherine O’Donnell (39) and her 13-year-old son, James Monaghan. Leona Harper, aged 14, and Jessica Gallagher (24) were killed along with shop assistant Martina Martin (49). James O’Flaherty (48), Martin McGill (49) and Hugh Kelly (59) were the other victims of the explosion at a commercial and residential complex in the village on October 7, 2022,

A garda investigation has had over 1,350 lines of inquiry and taken almost 1,000 statements. Four people have been previously arrested in connection with the explosion, but subsequently released without charge.

In a statement, gardaí said the investigation continues to be led by local gardaí in Donegal Division, supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and other agencies including the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU).