Emergency services have been working through the night after a “devastating” explosion at a three-storey block of flats in Jersey left three people dead and “around a dozen” others missing.
The Jersey government tweeted a video of firefighters and specialist rescue teams, including a dog, at the scene in the Channel Island capital of St Helier on Saturday night.
Footage captured some of the devastation and debris behind the cordon, including piles of debris, crushed cars and a broken window in a neighboring building.
The government said: “We are on the scene coordinating a methodical and meticulous multi-agency search effort.
“This involves several stages, including leaving the site for short periods to allow the dogs in and careful movement of the debris.”
At a press conference on Saturday, police described the scene at Haut du Mont, on Pier Road, as one of “total devastation”, telling reporters how the tower block had “completely collapsed” and ” it doesn’t even look like a building” after the “very, very big explosion”.
The States of Jersey Police were called to the scene at 4am on Saturday, with one person pronounced dead and two others, described as having “walking injuries”, taken to hospital.
They have since been discharged with a third person receiving treatment for non-serious injuries, doctors said.
The fire caused by the explosion was initially believed to have been extinguished, with emergency services “carrying out significant work” at the scene.
However, on Saturday afternoon, police said “bags of fire” had been discovered, adding that the site remains “highly unsafe”.
The South West Hazardous Area Response Team, along with an urban search and rescue team from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, were deployed to help.
The cause of the explosion is unknown
Firefighters were called to the area around 2:30 p.m. Friday night after residents reported smelling gas.
The cause of the explosion is unknown, with emergency crews saying their number one priority is to locate anyone alive in the rubble.
Robin Smith, chief constable of the States of Jersey Police, said there were “a number of working hypotheses”, but stressed it was important not to speculate.
A senior detective has been assigned to investigate the incident, which could be a “criminal or joint investigation,” he said.
Image: Image: Government of Jersey Image: Image: Government of Jersey
Asked what could have caused such a “fierce” explosion, Fire Chief Paul Brown said there were “many different potential causes” but it was too early to speculate.
When asked if the explosion took place near a mains gas supply, he replied: “We have been in dialogue with utility companies throughout the day.”
“This won’t end today”
Smith described the scene as one of “complete devastation”.
He said “significant progress” had been made in a “coordinated effort” to deal with the tragedy, with searches for missing people continuing throughout the night.
But he warned that the incident was “protracted” and would likely last “days, maybe weeks”.
Image: A sniffer dog at the scene. Image: Government of Jersey Image: Image: Government of Jersey
“It’s important that we have the resilience to keep going and keep going,” Smith said, adding, “This is not going to end today.”
Specially trained officers have been sent to Jersey City to support those affected by the incident, which will continue “well beyond” the search and rescue phase, Smith said.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident and praised the work of the emergency services response, adding: “We stand ready to support in any way we can.”