TWENTY detectives are working on the investigation into the Pier Road explosion, it was confirmed yesterday as further tributes to those who lost their lives in the blast poured in.
At a press briefing, police chief Robin Smith confirmed that Detective Superintendent Alison Fossey – the force’s head of crime – was leading the investigation, which would receive support from the National Crime Agency.
The announcement came shortly before two more victims – Ken and Jane Ralph – were publicly identified by the authorities.
Nine of those lost in the tragedy have now been named.
Meanwhile, fire chief Paul Brown revealed that the cause of the blast at Haut du Mont apartments would be investigated by ‘independent experts’ and not the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service.
This would be done, he said, to ensure full ‘transparency’, as fire crews had been called out to the scene hours before the blast after residents reported smelling gas.
Mr Brown also appeared to distance himself from comments made by Islands Energy Group chief executive Jo Cox on Monday about the possible cause of the tragedy. Although Ms Cox stressed that no one yet had an answer, she told reporters that it was ‘very typical’ for an explosion of that size to be caused by gas.
Addressing reporters, Mr Brown said: ‘Islands Energy yesterday indicated that this type of explosion often indicates gas. But we do not know that and I do not know that either.’
Commenting on the service’s call-out to Haut du Mont hours before the fatal explosion, he said: ‘In relation to Friday evening there are two statements of fact.
‘One is that the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service were called and attended the scene at 20.36, the other is that the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service handed over to Islands Energy at 21.01 hours.
‘To my knowledge there are no other facts about Friday evening and it is inappropriate for me to talk about anything else on the Friday evening because the most appropriate place to do that is through the investigative process because the only important thing here is the families, and the only important thing is the truth.’
