Legal representatives for families bereaved by the Creeslough tragedy uncovered that the local Applegreen service station had a safety certificate that was 16 years out of date, according to reports. The Garda investigation into the blast remains ongoing as families continue their search for answers as to what happened and why.
The 16-Year Regulatory Lapse at the Applegreen Station
The service station in Creeslough last received a renewed safety certificate in 2005. A Freedom of Information Act request submitted to Donegal County Council revealed that Vivo Shell, the company operating the service station, failed to renew the document after its expiration in 2006. Donegal County Council issued no subsequent safety certificates to the site owners throughout the intervening years.
Ongoing Garda Investigation and the Search for Answers
As the Garda investigation into the fatal blast continues, families continue to search for answers as to what happened and why. Speaking with Donegal Daily on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, Donna Harper, mother of 14-year-old Leona Harper, described the emotional toll of the ongoing process.
Our lives have literally been on hold for the past four years and we still have no answers. We are as wise today as to what happened as to on the day when this tragedy happened. We are tired but we will not give up. We will not stop until we get answers as to what happened on that day and why it happened.
The revelation regarding the safety certification adds a critical administrative dimension to the ongoing inquiries into the disaster.
