Latest news with #bereavedFamilies
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Creeslough families denied opportunity to speak during appeal against plans to rebuild petrol station
Families of those killed and injured in the Creeslough tragedy in Co Donegal have been refused an opportunity to speak during an appeal against an application to rebuild the petrol station at the centre of the explosion. It follows a decision by An Bord Pleanála to rule out a request for an oral hearing in the case. The request was made to An Bord Pleanála by a number of objectors who were bereaved by the October 2022 tragedy. Ten people died following a huge explosion at the service station. The objectors include Áine Flanagan, who lost her partner Robert Garwe and five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Shauna Gallagher, sister of the late Jessica Gallagher; Derek Martin, husband of the late Martina Martin; and Caroline Lauder and MarieLouise Macleod, sisters of the late Martin McGill. READ MORE The group, represented by human rights lawyers Phoenix Law, had argued that the level of national interest and the complexities of legal issues raised against the development warranted a full public hearing. However, An Bord Pleanála decided to proceed with a written determination for the appeal and contacted Donegal County Council to inform it of the decision. The council then informed members of the bereaved families. Donegal County Council said An Bord Pleanála decided an oral hearing is not necessary as the appeal can be adequately handled through written procedures. Reacting to the decision, one bereaved family member said the voices of those left behind after the tragedy had once again been silenced. The woman, who asked not to be named, said, 'This is a disgrace. We are not being given a chance to outline our concerns in a proper manner. [ Creeslough: 'I can't get my head around how a site can be built on when there's a criminal investigation' Opens in new window ] 'Ten people have died and yet An Bord Pleanála do not think their lives or our hurt are important enough so we can be heard.' In an update provided to Donegal County Council, the board confirmed that the processing of the appeal will now continue, and the Donegal County Council Planning Department will be notified of the decision once it is made. The signatories of the Phoenix Law appeal claimed that the Donegal Planning Authority, by approving the application, breached human rights obligations by failing to allow families to participate fully in the decision. The Planning Authority maintained it followed all statutory requirements in its decision-making process and urged An Bord Pleanála to uphold the original grant of permission. The development will involve demolishing the existing building and erecting a new building which will include a shop, post office, beauty salon, fuel pumps and memorial features, including space for a memorial garden. Planning permission was granted in February. [ Families of Creeslough victims object to 'cruel, callous' plans for service station and memorial Opens in new window ] A number of families impacted by the tragedy have strongly objected to the building of a new business on the site where their loved ones lost their lives. In a separate appeal, objectors have argued that it is against public policy to rebuild a development where a mass tragedy has occurred. They stated that inquests into the deaths of the 10 victims have not yet been held, and that if the development proceeds it will result in the destruction of crucial evidence. 'Both the Stardust Nightclub and the Grenfell Tower were never rebuilt, and the explosion in Creeslough is akin to those tragedies,' the appeal said.
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Families of Creeslough tragedy victims outraged after being refused hearing
Families of those killed and injured in the Creeslough tragedy in Co Donegal have been refused an opportunity to speak during an appeal against an application to rebuild the petrol station at the centre of the tragedy. It follows a decision by An Bord Pleanála to rule out a request for an oral hearing in the case. Advertisement The request was made to An Bord Pleanála by a number of objectors who were bereaved by the October 2022 tragedy. Ten people died following a huge explosion at the service station in October 2022. The objectors include Aine Flanagan, who lost her partner Robert Garwe and five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Shauna Gallagher, sister of the late Jessica Gallagher; Derek Martin, husband of the late Martina Martin; and Caroline Lauder and MarieLouise Macleod, sisters of the late Martin McGill. The group, represented by human rights lawyers Phoenix Law, had argued that the level of national interest and the complexities of legal issues raised against the development warranted a full public hearing. Advertisement However, An Bord Pleanála decided to proceed with a written determination for the appeal. An Bord Pleanála contacted Donegal County Council to inform them of their decision. The council then contacted members of the bereaved families informing them of the decision. Donegal County Council said An Bord Pleanála has decided that an oral hearing is not necessary as the appeal can be adequately handled through written procedures. Advertisement Reacting to the decision, one bereaved family member said the voices of those left behind after the tragedy had once again been silenced. The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "This is a disgrace. We are not being given a chance to outline our concerns in a proper manner. "Ten people have died and yet An Bord Pleanála do not think their lives or our hurt are important enough so we can be heard." In an update provided to Donegal County Council, the board confirmed that the processing of the appeal will now continue, and the Donegal County Council planning aepartment will be notified of the decision once it is made. Advertisement The signatories of the Phoenix Law appeal claimed that the Donegal Planning Authority, by approving the application, breached human rights obligations by failing to allow families to participate fully in the decision. The Planning Authority maintained it followed all statutory requirements in its decision-making process and urged An Bord Pleanála to uphold the original grant of permission. The new development will include demolishing the existing building and erect a new building which would include a shop, a post office, a beauty salon, fuel pumps and memorial features including space for a memorial garden. Planning permission for this was granted in February. Advertisement Ireland Castletown House activists sued by companies over... Read More A number of families impacted by the tragedy have strongly objected to the building of a new business on the very site where their loved ones lost their lives. In a separate appeal, objectors have argued that it is against public policy to rebuild a development where a mass tragedy has occurred. They stated that inquests into the deaths of the 10 victims have not yet occurred and that if the development proceeds, it will result in the destruction of crucial evidence. 'Both the Stardust Nightclub and the Grenfell Tower were never rebuilt, and the explosion in Creeslough is akin to those tragedies,' the appeal said.
NHK
01-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Japan group for war-bereaved families to hold its final offshore memorials
A Japanese association for war-bereaved families says it will end its memorial trips to sites of fierce World War Two battles because the participants are aging. The ship for Nippon Izokukai's final offshore memorial left port on Sunday. A total of about 16,000 bereaved family members visited 18 regions, including China and the Philippines, on 451 trips since the project started in fiscal 1991. Family members on the trips paid respects to the war dead and also interacted with local people. The association said it will conclude its overseas memorials by the end of this fiscal year. The group's last memorial at sea, 80 years after the end of the war, includes 218 family members from 42 prefectures. They boarded a vessel at a port in Kobe City, western Japan, on Sunday. They offered a silent prayer during a ceremony held on the ship before it departed around 5 p.m. Japan's health ministry says the remains of about 300,000 of the 2.4 million people who died abroad during the war were never recovered from the ocean. Participants will offer flowers to honor the victims in areas such as the sites where the battleships Yamato and Musashi sank. They will return to Japan on June 11.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Wiltshire widower backs plans for life sentences for cyclists who kill
A widower who has led an eight-year campaign for a change in road safety laws has welcomed proposals that could result in life sentences for death by dangerous Walker's wife Diana, 76, was on her way home from a shop in May 2016 when she was hit by a cyclist in Pewsey, Wiltshire. She died in hospital on the following campaigning with other bereaved families, Mr Walker, 88, said his "dearest wish" was to spare others from going through the new laws - which could lead to cyclists who kill pedestrians facing life imprisonment - have been at committee stage and the Department for Transport (DfT) said they will be debated "in due course". Mr and Mrs Walker had only recently moved into a retirement home and he had been expecting to spend many more years with his wife, who he said was a "very fit person" and a "wonderful mother".Not only a loss to the family, he said she had been very active in the community Walker said she died the day after the incident because she was being kept on life support for organ donation."I don't want anybody to go through what I've had to go through," he said. Mr Walker welcomed the proposed law changes but said that "having to wait nearly nine years for something to happen is an absolute disgrace"."It was just to make certain that the police fully investigated an accident on the highway where a cyclist killed a pedestrian," he changes drafted by the previous Conservative government were dropped when Parliamentary business was halted following the announcement of the general election in July 2024. Updating 160-year-old laws Proposed changes to the Crime and Policing Bill mean a cyclist found guilty of killing a pedestrian could face a life sentence, while those who injure walkers could go to jail for five changes would also mean serious injury caused by dangerous cycling - or death by careless or inconsiderate cycling - could incur punishments of five years in jail, fines, or both.A serious injury caused by careless or inconsiderate cycling would result in a two-year sentence, a fine, or both, under the proposals.A DfT spokesperson said: "Dangerous cycling is completely unacceptable. "The Government is proposing new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law." Police treatment 'horrifying' The government has estimated that four deaths on UK roads last year were caused by cyclists."The way Wiltshire Police treated Diana's death was horrifying and it's a huge relief that police will now have to treat cycling collisions as a proper highways accident," Mr Walker Police said extensive enquires were carried out when Mrs Walker died, but an investigation concluded her death was not an unlawful killing and no action was taken against the following concerns raised by the coroner at her inquest, the force said crash investigators would be sent to all serious accidents involving cyclists in future.
Japan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Remains of 368 Japanese war dead laid to rest in National Cemetery
The remains of 368 Japanese people were newly laid to rest in a memorial service in Tokyo on Monday at a national cemetery for unidentified people who died abroad during World War II. The remains were collected from locations including Ioto, a Pacific island widely known as Iwo Jima, Solomon Islands and Russia. The number of people laid to rest at the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery now totals 371,008, including those who died after the war as detainees in Siberia. Of some 2.4 million Japanese people who died abroad during the war, the remains of 1.12 million have not been recovered 80 years after the end of the war. Some 400 people including bereaved family members attended Monday's ceremony, hosted by the welfare ministry. Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were among them. In a speech, welfare minister Takamaro Fukuoka pledged to pass on lessons from the war to future generations so that it would not be repeated. The crown prince and the crown princess offered prayers and bereaved family members laid flowers. Of the remains brought back by then-Japanese troops or collected on government missions, those that remained unidentified or for which families were not found were laid to rest at the cemetery, built in 1959.
