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The search for the bodies of people missing after an explosion at a block of flats in Jersey will take “weeks, not days” and will be “deliberative and painstaking”, police have said.
Police Chief Robin Smith said emergency services were no longer looking for survivors.
Three people are known to be dead, and about a dozen people are still believed to be missing.
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‘Scene of utter disaster’ at Jersey blast site
Asked whether those missing had died, Mr Smith said: “We have now moved into the recovery phase. [of the operation]. So inevitably and tragically and sadly that is the case.”
He said that while the search for debris left after the blast would not be “rapid”, it would be both “careful and sensitive”.
‘Something has gone horribly wrong’
Firefighters, specialist rescue teams and dogs worked through the night to search for survivors in the rubble of a block in St Helier.
Mr Smith said teams were now “working with all services involved, including health and safety, to understand how this happened.”
Jersey Chief Fire Officer Paul Brown said, “Clearly something went wrong because a building exploded and collapsed. And in a horrific way. [wrong] as well.”
Mr Brown continued: “We are all devastated that Islanders have been lost and that families and loved ones are suffering and will continue to do so.”
Family Liaison Officers are currently working with the families of those affected by the explosion, and while authorities say they are in contact with all next of kin, the victims have not yet been publicly identified.
Photo: Government of Jersey
‘total destruction’
The extent of the destruction was evident in video footage posted on Twitter by Jersey Sarkar, which showed piles of rubble, crushed cars and a blown-out window in a neighboring building.
Police described the scene in Haut du Mont on Pier Road as “total devastation”.
Mr Smith said the tower block was “totally collapsed” and “didn’t even look like a building” after a “very significant explosion”.
Around 40 people have been kept in alternative accommodation following the explosion which occurred at around 4 am on Saturday morning.
A sniffer dog at the scene. Photo: Government of Jersey
Photo: Government of Jersey
‘Too early to speculate’ on cause
The fire service was called to the building at around 8.30pm on Friday, hours before the explosion, after residents reported smelling gas.
When asked what could have caused such a “ferocious” explosion, the chief fire officer, Paul Brown, said there were “many different possible causes”, but it was too early to speculate.
CCTV of the blast
Residents living in the flats have been moved to St Helier Town Hall, where they continue to receive support.
Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident and praised the work of the emergency services response, adding: “We stand ready to support in any way we can.”
This is the second tragedy for Jersey in a matter of days The captain and two crew members were killed Last week when their fishing boat collided with a cargo ship.
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