[4][5] The building behind the service station forecourt comprised apartments over a retail area, which included a convenience store with a deli counter, a post office and a hair salon.

[11] On 8 October, the Garda Síochána (Gardaí) said the death toll was ten, with no one listed as missing, adding that the information obtained so far suggested it was a "tragic accident".

[15][16] Eight people were hospitalised,[2] some airlifted by the Irish Coast Guard and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland helicopters, one male in his 20s to St. James's Hospital, Dublin in a critical condition.

Parish priest Fr John Joe Duffy told the congregation the small village had been hit by a "tsunami of grief".

[23] Taoiseach Micheál Martin visited the site of the explosion the evening after it happened, accompanied by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, who said there was "deep sadness" in the village and a "terrible silence" reflecting the enormity of the incident, adding that "the entire nation is mourning".

[29] Shortly after the first report of the explosion, Fine Gael junior minister Josepha Madigan tweeted that she hoped "they find the culprits".

[37] Minister for Justice Helen McEntee commended the work of the emergency services and said "the entire community I know will be coming to terms with this for a long time".

[39] Northern Ireland's First Minister-designate and vice president of Sinn Féin, Michelle O'Neill said: "The whole country has the community of Cresslough and Co Donegal in our thoughts.

[41][42][43] A Vatican City letter to bishop Alan McGuckian said Pope Francis "implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss".

[50] On 17 October, Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Jilan Wahba Abdalmjid extended her condolences to those affected during a visit to County Donegal.

[10] Other sportspeople who spoke about the impact of the explosion included Séamus Coleman (via Everton's official Twitter account) and Packie Bonner.

[59] That evening, the Scotland and Republic of Ireland teams wore black armbands in their FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying match, and Amber Barrett (from nearby Milford) dedicated her winning goal to Creeslough.

[75][76] Experts from several bodies were called in to assist: the Garda Technical Bureau, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, the Health and Safety Authority and DNV.