THE cause of the fatal explosion at the six-unit Haut du Mont apartment block is being investigated, with the working assumption that it was caused by gas – because explosions of this ferocity normally are – but that has not yet been proven.
Independent fire experts are seeking to identify the cause. The area is being treated as a crime scene.
No property in the Haut du Mont flats was connected to gas for cooking or heating.
Gas did supply the estate, but Andium Homes – which ran and managed the block – is moving its entire estate off gas to reduce its carbon footprint and align itself with wider government objectives to achieve carbon neutrality.
Andium has confirmed that there was a redundant Island Energy supply at Haut du Mont but all users had been removed from it.
Andium has also confirmed that, in September, it instructed Island Energy to disconnect that redundant supply from their mains network, off site.
This was after the last tenant using gas at Haut du Mont – who did not live in the affected block – moved to an electric cooker that month.
An eyewitness said that they saw engineers working at a site along Commercial Buildings, near the road’s 90-degree bend around the English Harbour, on Friday.
Island Energy Group chief executive officer Jo Cox confirmed at a press briefing on Monday that the company had carried out recent work at the site before Saturday’s explosion, but the utility has not gone into the details of that work, and whether it was the disconnection that Andium had asked it to do.
Asked if that had been the work taking place on Friday, an Island Energy spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that, in line with Andium’s statement, there was a redundant Island Energy supply at Haut du Mont but there was no gas being consumed by either Andium or their residents.
‘Outside of this, we are unable to comment on any details regarding works carried out on the property last week, as this is part of an investigation and, as such, it would be inappropriate to discuss any information at this time.’
Mrs Cox also said on Monday that Haut du Mont was not on the mains gas network, which she said was ‘100% safe’. The estate was therefore connected by a branch connection off the mains supply, although – as Andium and Island Energy have said – this infrastructure was redundant.
Roadworks by the corner along Commercial Buildings, which have barriers around it with ‘gas’ written on them, are currently cordoned off with police tape, and uniformed officers are maintaining a presence there.
Asked about the police activity at this location at a press conference on Tuesday, States police chief Robin Smith said that it was not connected to the investigation but related to concerns about the safety of buildings there which had been damaged by the blast.
It is also been confirmed that the Fire and Rescue Service were called to Haut du Mont at 8.36pm on Friday night. They left at 9.01pm, handing over to Island Energy.
It is standard procedure that the gas company should attend whenever a concern about a gas leak is reported to the emergency services.
