THE King of England has offered his condolences in the wake of Friday’s explosion in Creeslough which claimed the lives of 10 people.

King Charles and his wife Camilla visited Donegal in 2016. In a message to the President of Ireland, King Charles sent his “heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences” to those affected by the tragedy.

In a statement, King Charles recalled the friendliness of the close-knit Donegal community.

“My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal. We remember with the greatest fondness meeting people from across Donegal when we visited in 2016 and the strong sense of community that exists there.

“However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathies are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy, together with yourself and the people of Ireland.”

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe was the youngest victim. She died along with her dad, Robert Garwe. They had gone into the Applegreen Service Station to buy a birthday cake for Shauna’s mum Áine Flanagan when the tragedy occurred.

Funerals for those who died begin tomorrow, when hundreds of people are expected to say a heartbreaking farewell to Jessica Gallagher (24). The former Loreto Letterkenny student was a fashion designer.  She will be laid to rest in her home village of Creeslough tomorrow morning  following funeral mass in St Michael’s Church at 11am. The fashion and marketing graduate was due to begin a new job in Belfast today.

A man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in hospital in Dublin. Seven others injured in the explosion remain in Letterkenny University Hospital, where they are being treated for their injuries.