AT least five people are known to have died in a huge explosion in St Helier in the early hours of Saturday.
The three-storey Haut du Mont apartment building, off Pier Road, was destroyed in the blast, which could be heard across the Island at about 4am on Saturday.
In an update on Sunday evening, police chief Robin Smith said that emergency services believe that four people remain missing. He added that the rescue operation had identified ‘several areas of focus where possible bodies may be located’.
Mr Smith said: ‘Disaster Victim Identification strategies are in place and specialist officers continue to survey the scene alongside Fire and Ambulance Services and tactical advisors from Urban Search and Rescue.
‘The number of Islanders confirmed to have been killed in the blast is now five. There are still a number of residents, we are working on the assumption of four, that remain unaccounted for. Their families were made aware of this announcement before other Islanders. They continue to be supported by special officers.
‘Our equipment and K9s have identified several areas of focus where possible bodies may be located. We continue to search these locations.’
The nearby area was left strewn with debris from the building as neighbours were evacuated and taken to the Town Hall.
Specialist search-and-rescue teams flew in from the UK on Saturday and worked through the night at the blast scene.
Jersey’s government released a video of firefighters and specialist rescue teams, including a dog, on the scene last night.
.@JsyFire are on site coordinating a methodical and meticulous multi agency search effort. This involves a number of stages, including vacating the site for short periods to allow dogs to enter, and the careful movement of debris.
— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) December 10, 2022
Further updates will be provided in the morning. pic.twitter.com/f1LkN1sWVN
The footage captured some of the devastation and debris behind the cordon – including piles of rubble, crushed cars and a blown out window in the neighbouring building.
In an update on Sunday morning, police chief Robin Smith said the operation had now moved to the ‘recovery’ phase.
‘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 (DVI) strategies are in place and specialist officers are surveying the scene with Fire and Ambulance Services and tactical advisors from Urban Search and Rescue (USAR),’ he said.
Mr Smith added that the ‘working assumption’ is that the fatal explosion was caused by a gas leak. However, he added that the police were still ‘ruling nothing in and nothing out’ when it came to the cause of the blast.
On Saturday, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer, Paul Brown, told a press conference that specialist rescue teams from areas including the Isle of Wight and Hampshire had been drafted in to help with the response.
He said: ‘The plan is that we will continue searching and we have no other plan at this stage.
‘We are just continuing to search and most of our efforts at the moment are about organisation and logistics of securing the right support at the right time, and making sure that the right equipment arrives in the right sequence.
‘The area is being lit and teams will be working tonight, all night, and we will not stop for the time being,’ he added.
Mr Brown also spoke about the caution they are taking, saying: ‘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.’
Chief Minister Kristina Moore told the press conference that at least three people had died, describing the incident as an ‘unimaginable tragedy’ for the Island.
Meanwhile, Mr Brown confirmed that firefighters had been called to the building at 8.36pm on Friday – hours before the blast – and had carried out investigations.
Andium Homes, which ran Haut du Mont, said it is focusing on supporting residents at the estate.
Gas supplier Island Energy said it was working with the fire service to ‘understand exactly what has happened’.
Monday’s JEP includes a special report on the weekend’s devastating events. You can subscribe here subscribe.jerseyeveningpost.com
