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WorldConfirmed - Five persons died in Jersey tower blast

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Confirmed – Five persons died in Jersey tower blast

The search and rescue operation has been renamed a “recovery operation,” according to the chief of police.

Five people have been confirmed dead following an explosion and fire at a block of flats in Jersey, up from three previously.

A dozen people are still believed to be missing.

The search for bodies will take “weeks, not days,” police said on Sunday, and will be “meticulous and painstaking.”

The emergency services are no longer looking for survivors, according to Chief of Police Robin Smith.

‘Scene of utter tragedy’ at Jersey blast site

Asked if those who are missing had died, Mr Smith said: “We’ve now moved into the recovery phase [of the operation]. So inevitably and tragically and sadly that is the case.”

He said while the search of the debris left following the explosion would not be “quick”, it would be both “careful and sensitive”.

Chief ambulance officer Peter Gavey speaking at a press conference about the explosion and fire at a block of flats in St Helier, Jersey. At least three people have died and a dozen are missing following the blast. Picture date: Sunday December 11, 2022.
Image:Chief ambulance officer Peter Gavey speaking at a press conference

‘Something has gone horribly wrong’

Firefighters, specialist rescue teams and dogs worked through the night to search for survivors in the debris of the block in St Helier.

Mr Smith said teams were now “working on participating with all the services, including health and safety, to understand how this has occurred.”

Jersey’s chief fire officer, Paul Brown, said: “Something clearly has gone wrong because a building has exploded and collapsed. And horribly [wrong] as well.”

Pic: Government of Jersey
Image:Pic: Government of Jersey

Mr Brown went on: “We’re all devastated that Islanders have been lost and that families and loved ones are suffering and will continue to do so.”

Family liaison officers are currently working with the families of those affected by the blast, and while authorities say they are in touch with all next of kin, victims are yet to be publicly identified.

‘Utter devastation’

The extent of the devastation was evident in video footage posted to Twitter by the Jersey government, which showed piles of rubble, crushed cars and a blown-out window in a neighbouring building.

Police described the scene at Haut du Mont on Pier Road as one of “utter devastation”.

At least three people have died in an explosion at a three-storey tower block in Jersey. Pic: Government of Jersey
Image:A sniffer dog on the scene. Pic: Government of Jersey

Mr Smith said that the tower block had “completely collapsed” and “doesn’t even look like a building” after the “very, very significant explosion”.

Around 40 people are being housed in alternative accommodation following the blast, which happened at around 4am on Saturday morning.

‘Too early to speculate’ about cause

The fire service was called to the building at around 8.30pm on Friday night, hours before the blast, after residents reported smelling gas.

When asked what could cause such a “ferocious” explosion, Paul Brown, the chief fire officer, said there were “many different potential causes”, but it was too early to speculate.

CCTV of the blast
Image:CCTV of the blast

Residents who lived in the flats have been moved to St Helier Town Hall, where they continue to be supported.

Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident and commended the work of the emergency services response, adding: “We stand ready to support in any way we can.”

It’s the second tragedy for Jersey in days, after a skipper and two crew members were killed last week when their fishing boat collided with a freight vessel.

 

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