Jersey explosion
Three people confirmed dead after blast at block of flats in St Helier, and 12 are still missing
Jersey
Emergency services in Jersey are treating an explosion at a block of flats as a “recovery operation” rather than search and rescue, the police chief has said, with 12 people still missing.
Three people were confirmed dead on Saturday after the blast at Haut du Mont, Pier Road, in the capital, St Helier.
On Sunday morning, Robin Smith, the chief of Jersey police, said: “It is with sadness that I am confirming that the search and rescue operation had been moved to a recovery operation.
“The decision was made after a detailed assessment and following the use of specialist K9 units.
“Disaster victim identification strategies are in place and specialist officers are surveying the scene with fire and ambulance services and tactical advisers from urban search and rescue.”
The blast occurred at about 4am on Saturday, less than eight hours after firefighters had been called to the site over concerns from residents, it was confirmed.
Two people who were in hospital on Saturday were discharged, with one other person receiving treatment for non-serious injuries.
In a press conference on Saturday afternoon alongside the head of the fire, police and ambulance services, the island’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, said it was an “unimaginable tragedy” for the Channel Island.
She added: “This is going to take some days and we will keep everyone updated and fully informed, and we will do our very best to ensure everybody is properly looked after.”
Specialist equipment was mobilised to find anyone trapped in the rubble, according to the police, helped by an urban search and rescue team from southern England.
On Saturday Smith said the scene was one of “complete devastation”.
Police said the site remained “highly unsafe”, with “pockets of fire” discovered hours after the “very, very significant” explosion.
The chief fire officer, Paul Brown, added: “The primary challenge is the fact that we have a dangerous structure that has collapsed … Anything that we do, or do in the wrong way, may then jeopardise the chance of survival of anyone who might be rescued.”
The operation would continue “for days, maybe weeks”, Smith said, and added that it was “important to have resources to continue to keep going”.
Brown also revealed firefighters were called to the scene at 8.36pm on Friday, and an investigation was carried out.
Asked if this had anything to do with the explosion, he said: “I can confirm that the fire and rescue service did attend. I don’t know the exact number of firefighters, but they did attend.
“I know that they did conduct investigations, but I think at the moment what I’m focused on is just the emergency response.
“I will give you an answer to that but what I’d like to do for the moment is focus on the emergency response, talk to my colleagues and consider those bits that are subject to investigation – and make sure I don’t tell you something that I need to tell someone else first.”
Smith said it would not be helpful to speculate about what happened at this stage. The cause of the explosion remains unknown.
