No survivors have been found after rescuers spent the night searching for the remains of a block of flats in Jersey.
The Haut du Mont flats in St Helier were destroyed in an explosion shortly before 4am on Saturday 10 December.
Rescuers have warned they “expect to find” more bodies in the rubble.
Five people have been confirmed dead and four people are still missing, but the island’s police chief has confirmed that an overnight search revealed “no sign of life” at the site.
Robin Smith said: “It is with sadness that I can confirm that the search and rescue operation has been moved to a recovery operation. The decision was made following a detailed assessment and following the use of canine units specialized
“Disaster victim identification (DVI) strategies are in place and specialist officers are surveying the scene with fire and ambulance services and urban search and rescue (USAR) tactical advisers.”
He added that although three deaths have been confirmed, rescuers no longer expect to find any of the missing alive.
CCTV footage obtained by ITV News captured the moment of the explosion in St Helier
The Jersey Government tweeted a video of firefighters and specialist rescue teams, including a dog, at the scene in St Helier on Saturday night.
Footage captured some of the devastation and debris behind the cordon, including piles of debris, crushed cars and a broken window in a neighboring building.
The government said: “We are coordinating a methodical and meticulous multi-agency search effort on site.
“This involves several stages, including leaving the site for short periods to allow the dogs in and careful movement of the debris.”
About 40 people remain in temporary accommodation.
Jersey Chief Minister Kristina Moore praises the hard work of rescue teams sifting through the wreckage in Haut de Mont.
On Saturday night, Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Paul Brown told a news conference that specialist rescue teams had been called in from areas including the Isle of Wight and Hampshire to help with the answer.
He said: “The plan is that we will continue to look and we have no other plans at this stage.
“We’re just still looking and most of our efforts at this point are in the organization and the logistics of ensuring the right support at the right time and making sure the right equipment arrives in the right sequence.”
“The area is being lit up and the crews will be working tonight, all night, and we won’t stop for now,” he added.
Rescuers from inside and outside the island have spent the night looking for the remains of the Alt de Mont Crèdit flats Credit: Government of Jersey
Brown also spoke about the precaution they are taking, saying, “The main challenge is the fact that we have a dangerous structure that has collapsed.”
“Anything we do, or do incorrectly, can jeopardize the chances of survival for anyone who can be rescued,” he added.
Chief Minister Kristina Moore told a news conference that at least three people had died, describing the incident as an “unimaginable tragedy” for the island.
Jersey’s police chief says a senior detective has been assigned to investigate the blast.
Meanwhile, the police chief confirmed that around 12 people were still missing, adding: “My hope, of course, is that the number is much lower.”
Smith said it was a “protracted incident” that could “last for days, maybe weeks.”
He described the scene in St Helier as one of “tragedy” and “total devastation”.
The boss has previous experience of dealing with major incidents, having served as a gold commander for British Transport Police during the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. He said the disaster in Jersey is “as big as it gets”. for the island
Meanwhile, the island’s Fire Chief confirmed that firefighters had been called to Alt de Mont at 8.36pm on Friday night and had carried out investigations.
Residents are understood to have reported smelling gas in the hours leading up to the large explosion.
Emergency personnel at the scene of an explosion and fire at a block of flats in St Helier Credit: Aaron Chown/PA
Gas supplier Island Energy said it was working with firefighters to “understand exactly what has happened”.
The residents of the flats have been taken to St Helier Council, where they are being supported.
Speaking to ITV News on Sunday morning, Jersey Chief Minister Kristina Moore gave an update on the search effort overnight:
“Emergency services have been working throughout the night with specialist equipment being dispatched from both Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Ministry of Defence.
“Unfortunately, they have been unable to identify any signs of life at the site, so have now moved it to a ‘recovery operation.’
“The families have been informed and the work will continue with great care over the coming days and weeks.
Jersey Chief Minister Kristina Moore told ITV News that “no signs of life were found” at the site.
At a press conference on Sunday, Smith said support was being extended to the families of the victims. He said:
“We have entered a recovery phase, it is a time to think about families.
“We have deployed family liaison officers to the families, it is very important that we are sensitive to their emotions as we begin a meticulous and thorough search of the debris following the explosion.”
Police Chief Robin Smith gives an update on the “recovery operation” in Haut du Mont.
He added: “We’re not going to be here for days, we’re going to be here for weeks and it’s important that I make that clear. It’s not going to happen quickly, it’s going to happen carefully and sensitively.”
He confirmed that the death toll remains at three, with around 12 more still missing.
Paul Brown, Jersey’s fire chief, admitted that something had gone “horribly wrong” after the deadly blast.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday morning, he said: “Something has clearly gone wrong when a building has exploded and collapsed.” He added that it had gone “horribly wrong”.
Brown told reporters that the fire service will “cooperate fully” with “honesty” and “transparency” but that the main focus at the moment is the search operation.
The operation to recover the site is ongoing, with the Jersey Government tweeting that the cordon around the Mt Bingham area is likely to remain in place “for the rest of the day”:
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