<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">DUBLIN, Oct 8, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Seven people have been killed in an explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal in Ireland's northwest, police said onn Saturday.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The Garda Siochana police force said eight people had hospitalised as "the search and recovery for further fatalities continues" at the site in the village of Creeslough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Rescue efforts by Ireland's emergency services went on through the night at the scene where on Friday afternoon an explosion had ripped through a petrol&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">station forecourt and the facade of a nearby appartment complex.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ireland's police, fire, ambulance service and coast guard and the air ambulance service from Northern Ireland as well as a specialist team from the UK-run province were in attendance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Letterkenny University Hospital, 24 kilometres (15 miles) from the explosion&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">was placed on an emergency footing as it said in a statement it was dealing&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">with "multiple injuries".</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ireland's premier Micheal Martin said his "thoughts and prayers are today with those who have lost their lives, and those injured in the devastating explosion".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"People across this island will be numbed by the same sense of shock and utter devastation as the people of Creeslough at this tragic loss of life," he said in a statement, thanking members of the emergency services "who are working throughout the night in extremely traumatic circumstances". BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>