Why is the Creeslough explosion, which killed ten people, still unsolved two years later? – The Irish Times

Why is the explosion in Creeslough, County Donegal, which killed ten people, still unsolved two years later?

That’s a good question. Apparently most of the survivors have run out of patience. Although the criminal investigation into the cause of the explosion at a petrol station in the Co. Donegal village in October 2022 has been ongoing for two years, there is no final end in sight. This is mainly because the investigation is so extensive and complicated.

But surely two years is enough?

There appears to be no evidence that the explosion was caused intentionally. Instead, gardaí believe it was a gas explosion. The focus of the investigation is the system that delivers gas to the Applegreen gas station and adjacent residential units.

There were four arrests – two in March and two in May – and all four were released without charge. But a case like this isn’t like catching criminals with guns or drugs or solving a murder.

What do you mean by that?

There are unusual legal and technical considerations here. It is critical to determine the exact source of the explosion and any events that may have led to a failure. Only then can the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determine whether someone is guilty of an offence, rather than the incident being discovered by chance. There is a lot of complex physical evidence that needs to be examined.

Two years or more still seems like a long time, doesn’t it?

Garda sources say that if they hurry, the chances of missing evidence or doing something wrong increase. And if someone were to be prosecuted for this explosion and then the case fell through because of a mistake, that would be the worst possible outcome.

They also say something like this is very unusual for Ireland and therefore new to Garda investigators. Deadly gas explosions are rare. And an event – of any kind – that results in the death of ten people is extremely unusual for Ireland.

So this is new and the gardaí are learning as they go?

Not quite. At their core, their job is to investigate unexplained deaths, and they are very used to that. What is new is the number of victims and the type of deaths.

The gas explosion aspect presents the greatest challenge. British explosion and gas experts have been called in. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) are also involved. However, there is no doubt that this type of investigation is very different to the investigations normally carried out by the Garda. Any unusual investigation will always be slower.

So it’s complicated, but when will it be ready?

The Garda said last year that more than 1,350 lines of inquiry had been “conducted” and 900 statements had been made. So it’s perhaps no surprise that it’s taking so long. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said last week that a criminal file on the case was nearing completion and would be referred to the DPP. However, Garda sources said it could be months before the file is passed on to the DPP.

And what happens then?

It will be the DPP’s job to examine all evidence collected by gardaí, including answers to questions asked of the four people arrested earlier this year. Given the scale and complexity of this investigation, it is likely to take many months for the DPP office to make a decision on whether anyone should be charged with criminal offences. Some gardaí believe this will not happen until next year.

The victims’ families are clearly upset, but what exactly are they looking for?

Last week Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, who represents the families of seven victims, called for a public inquiry or commission of inquiry into the deadly explosion. He said “complex and controversial deaths” require a parallel investigation while a criminal investigation is ongoing. Only a process independent of a criminal investigation would result in a report being published and all lessons learned to prevent a similar explosion from happening again, he said.