'Heartbroken by the tragic loss of our young men' - Londonderry grieves after fatal Donegal crash
A fatal crash that took the lives of two teenagers has left a Londonderry community centre “heart-broken by the tragic loss our local young men”.
Shantallow Community Centre in the north of the city threw open its doors today so that grieving young people could come together in an attempt to comfort each other.
In a statement on social media, the centre said it would have “qualified grief councillors” on hand tonight to deal with “unimaginable pain” from the deaths.
The two were killed in an incident that saw a collision between a car and lorry on a Donegal road just over the border with Northern Ireland, which happened at around 11.15pm on Tuesday night.
The two boys were both passengers in the car. Its driver, who as with the two who lost their lives is in his late teens, has been hospitalised with serious injuries.
The crash happened near Donegal village St Johston, on a road that leads to Londonderry in one direction and heads towards Strabane in the other.
In a statement on social media today, the community centre said: “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of two of our local young men last night. The pain being felt across our community right now is unimaginable.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families and everyone who loves them. We are also keeping the other young man, who remains in critical condition, very much in our thoughts and prayers at this time
“Our youth wing will be open all day for friends who need somewhere safe to come together, get a bite to eat and remember their amazing friends in a safe, comfortable, loving space
“We will also have qualified grief counsellors available for anyone who would like to speak to someone from 7pm tonight. Please do not struggle alone. Reach out, call in, message us
Speaking to the Derry Journal, Rev Craig Wilson from Burt Presbyterian Church near the crash site said: “It’s terrible. We have families devastated and the loss of two teenage lives is desperate. We heard the sirens going on Tuesday night.”
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said the crash is a “profound tragedy” affecting “families, friends and communities across the North West”.