]
12-10-2022, 10:10 AM
It's News Time Folks
At least one person has died after an explosion in a block of flats in St Helier, Jersey police have said.About 12 people are believed to be missing, with two “walking wounded” being treated at the hospital.
Emergency services arrived at the scene at Haut du Mont, Pier Road, in the capital in the early hours of Saturday.
Robin Smith, the chief officer of the States of Jersey police, said firefighters had been called to the area the night before after residents reported smelling gas.
He said the scene of the blast was “devastating”, and that there could be more deaths.
“We have a three-storey building that has completely collapsed – described from a demolition point of view as a pancake that has dropped almost straight down,” he said.
“There is also damage to a nearby building as well, another block of flats that the fire service needs to make safe. It is a pretty devastating scene, I regret to say.”
Smith said it would be hard to properly assess the number of people missing given the state of the building.
“We are looking in the region of around a dozen, currently. That number could fluctuate, but that’s the number we’re operating to.”
Asked whether the death toll was likely to rise, Smith said: “I wouldn’t want to speculate on those sorts of things … but there has to be a recognition that we could have more fatalities.”
The force had said earlier that relatives were being contacted by family liaison officers.
Police would investigate the possibility of safety issues regarding the gas supply, Smith said.
The chief minister of Jersey, Kristina Moore, paid tribute to the emergency workers and said the owners of the block of flats were working to ensure anyone displaced by the explosion had accommodation.
She said the area would be under investigation for some days, and gave her condolences to the families involved.
“It’s a huge shock to everyone this morning, but in the first instance our condolences go to the families who are affected and we’re all thinking and praying for those who are worried about their loved ones. We all share in their concern.”
