A gas leak is said to be the cause of the tragic incident that occurred in a building in the island’s capital, the port of St Helier (in the south)
At least three dead and almost ten missing are the toll from the explosion that destroyed a residential building on the island of Jersey, Sky News reported today citing the head of the island’s government, Christina Moore.
The previous toll was one dead, following the explosion that occurred around 04:00 local time today at a residential building on the island, off the coast of northern France. Officials have not commented on the cause of the explosion but said residents had earlier reported smelling natural gas.
A gas leak is said to be the cause of the tragic incident that occurred in a building in the island’s capital, the port of St Helier (in the south). Footage from security cameras showed a ball of fire engulfing the waterfront building and then thick smoke.
“A three-story building completely collapsed,” said local police chief Robin Smith.
“There is also damage to a neighboring building, a residential building which firefighters have yet to secure. It’s quite a scary sight,” he added.
He stressed that the toll and the number of missing persons may increase.
Two people were admitted to hospital.
A neighbour, Anthony Abbott, told the BBC that the windows of his flat were shattered by the blast. “Outside, everything was on fire,” he declared, considering that he “got lucky.”
Smell of gas
Jersey gas supplier Island Energy said it was working with emergency services to understand what happened.
Residents had called the fire department saying they smelled gas, according to the police chief. Robin Smith said experts have been mobilized to locate people who may be trapped under the rubble.
Prime Minister Christina Moore said clearing the site of debris could take “several days”. Around 30 people were evacuated from the area and are being accommodated at St Helier town hall.
It is the second tragic incident this week on the island, whose economy is based on banking, tourism and fishing.
On Friday, the Jersey Coast Guard called off a two-day search at sea for three sailors who were missing from the wreck of their ship Thursday morning after a collision with a ferry. The ship “L’ Ecume II” sank to a depth of about 40 meters, too deep for divers to go there without special equipment.
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