SAINT HELIER (Jersey)Rescue teams in Jersey on Sunday gave up hope of finding survivors from an explosion that collapsed a three-story apartment building, fearing more than a dozen people had died.
At least three people have been confirmed dead in a suspected gas leak that struck the Channel Island port city of St. Helier early Saturday morning.
Police Chief Robin Smith told a news conference that “three fatalities have been confirmed and we expect more to die”, adding that about 12 residents remain missing. Stated.
“It is sad to confirm that search and rescue operations have been transferred to recovery operations,” he said.
The next step would require “a meticulous and exhaustive search for debris” that could take weeks, Smith said.
A gas leak was the “likely” cause, he added. “But as the police service often says, we are keeping all options open.”
With the help of sniffer dogs and urban rescue specialists from the south of England, Jersey emergency workers plowed through the rubble overnight.
Fire Chief Paul Brown confirmed that firefighters were dispatched to investigate the smell of gas Friday night, more than seven hours before the explosion.
He admitted that something “had gone horribly wrong” given the ensuing disaster, but insisted that Jerseyans still had confidence in his service.
“We continue to look for people’s loved ones,” Brown said.
Jersey gas supplier Island Energy said it was working with the fire department to understand what happened.
Like many others in St. Helier, Jersey Prime Minister Christina Moore said she was woken up by the blast.
“We heard this unusual noise on the other side of the island,” she told the BBC.
“This is unbelievable news. We are all completely devastated and truly concerned for those involved and those who lost their lives.”
Authorities said about 40 residents near destroyed apartments had to be relocated on Saturday, and Moore praised the community for coming together.
The incident caps off a tragic week for Jersey, a British Crown Dependent not part of Britain whose economy depends on banking, tourism and fishing.
On Friday, the Coast Guard abandoned a search for three Jersey fishermen who were missing for nearly 36 hours after their wooden boat struck a cargo vessel and sank.
The cargo ship is owned by Condor Ferries, whose offices are near the destroyed apartments.
“We have to call on the collective strength of the island community,” Moore said after the two disasters. -AFPMore
