EIGHT people have now been confirmed to have died in the explosion at a St Helier block of flats over the weekend.
The blast in the early hours of Saturday morning led to a full collapse of a three-storey building on the Andium-run Haut du Mont estate.
Police chief Robin Smith said that there is believed to be one person still missing.
Mr Smith said: ‘I can confirm that as at 10.30am, Wednesday 14 December, one further fatality has been confirmed at the Haut du Mont site on Pier Road.
‘The number of Islanders confirmed to have died in the blast is now eight. We estimate that there is still one resident that is unaccounted for.
‘As has been our process throughout, the families have been made aware of this announcement before the public and media and are being supported by our specially trained Family Liaison Officers.
‘The fatalities have not yet been formally identified. The Disaster Victim Identification process must be carefully considered and managed in a dignified and compassionate way.
‘I am sure Islanders will continue to join me in giving our thoughts to those victims, their families, and friends, in what has been a tragic incident for our Island and our community. May I ask that the privacy of the families continues to be respected.’
The nine Islanders have been confirmed as 72-year-old Peter Bowler, 71-year-old Raymond (Raymie) Brown, Romeu and Louise De Almeida (67 and 64 years), Derek and Sylvia Ellis (61 and 73 years), Ken (72) and Jane Ralph (71) and Billy Marsden (63).
