Jersey tower blast killed seven people, police say
Emergency services have been conducting searches of the blast site in St Helier since Saturday and confirmed on Monday that they are no longer looking for survivors.聽
Tuesday 13 December 2022 16:47, UK
An explosion that destroyed a block of flats in Jersey killed at least seven people, police say.
Five people were initially said to have died in Saturday's blast, with detectives on Tuesday confirming two more deaths.
"The fatalities have not yet been formally identified," said Jersey Police chief Robin Smith.
"The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process must be carefully considered and managed in a dignified and compassionate way."
Two final missing people were also named by police as Ken and Jane Ralph, aged 72 and 71 respectively.
On Monday, officials named seven others who are missing as Peter Bowler, 72, Raymond Brown, 71, Romeu and Louise De Almeida, 67 and 64, Derek and Sylvia Ellis, 61 and 73, and Billy Marsden, 63.
Emergency services have been conducting searches of the blast site in St Helier since Saturday, and confirmed on Monday that they were no longer looking for survivors.
Police added that the search for bodies "will take weeks, not days" and described the scene on Pier Road as one of "utter devastation".
'Many different potential causes'
While the cause of the explosion is still not known, the fire service was called to the building hours before the incident after residents reported smelling gas.
When asked what could cause such a "ferocious" explosion, Paul Brown, the chief fire officer, previously said there were "many different potential causes", and it was too early to speculate.
Mr Smith said that the "likely" cause was a gas leak, but the chief executive of Island Energy, which supplies gas to the Channel Islands, said the flats affected were not connected to the gas network.
He told a news conference on Tuesday that independent experts would be commissioned to investigate the cause of the fire and explosion.
Read more:
Scene of 'utter tragedy' at blast site
'Weeks not days' to find bodies
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Asked why by reporters, Mr Smith replied: "I think it is important that everybody is absolutely assured about the openness and transparency, and the relentless drive for the truth, through facts - and that's why I'm absolutely determined we will have an independent view of the cause of the fire, the cause of the explosion."
He added it was also a resources issue due to the size and complexity of the investigation.
Following the blast, about 40 people have been placed in alternative accommodation.