'Painstaking' Search Will 'Take Weeks, Not Days'

Jersey's Police Chief has said the 'meticulous and painstaking' search of the debris of a destroyed block of flats in St Helier will take weeks, not days.

Three people are known to have died and around a dozen are missing.

Earlier today rescuers said they no longer expected to find anyone alive. Chief of Police Robin Smith said it has now become a 'recovery operation'.

Emergency services, including specialist search teams and dogs from the UK, worked through the night at the site on Pier Road in St Helier following the blast just before 4am on Saturday morning (10 December).

A three-story block of Andium's Haut du Mont flats collapsed.  The site has been described as one of 'utter devastation'.

Chief Fire Officer Paul Brown says they are focused on understanding what happened, and on 'dignity for islanders and people's loved ones'.

"We have been searching, and we have not stopped searching, and we will not stop searching for islanders, for people's loved ones.  That is our sole focus at this stage."

Around 10 Jersey firefighters are on scene at any time, along with up to 20 UK personnel, mainly from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Service. They are working in rotation.

Police Chief Robin Smith says Family Liaison officers are with the families of those who have died and are unaccounted for.

"It is vitally important that we are sensitive to their thoughts, considerations, emotions... as we now begin what is going to be a meticulous and painstaking search of the debris left following the explosion."

We have very specialist staff, not only in States of Jersey Police, but also supported by colleagues in the UK, to start identifying bodies when and if we find them.  That will take time.

We are not going to be here for days. We are likely to be here for weeks.  It is important I make that clear.

It is going to happen carefully, and it going to happen sensitively."

Jersey's Chief Fire Officer has promised an 'honest and transparent' investigation into what went so 'horribly wrong' to cause the fatal blast.

The Fire Service has previously confirmed that firefighters responded to a call to the area at 8.36pm on Friday evening following reports of the smell of gas.

Facing questions from reporters at a press conference just before midday, Chief Officer Brown said he gives his personal commitment that the Fire Service would be 'absolutely open and transparent and completely provide every item of information that is required'.

"We will cooperate fully and openly and transparently every step of the way."

He said islanders can have confidence in their emergency services and in Jersey Fire and Rescue.

Police Chief Robin Smith said a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed, as would be usual in such circumstances.  They are working with the Fire Service, Health & Safety, the gas company and Andium Homes.

Asked if his working assumption was that it was a gas explosion, Mr Smith said:

"Who can say? It looks likely that is the case, but we keep all our options open. That seems likely, but we do not know is the simple answer."

Further quizzed on the nature of the police investigation, Mr Smith said:

'"The police service is ferociously independent.

We will seek experts who are also independent.  This will be an independent investigation."

Jersey's Bailiff has announced a special fund to help those affected by the past week's events

Sir Tim Le Cocq says the Bailiff's Island appeal will support and meet the needs of those affected by both the maritime incident and the Pier Road explosion.

More details will be provided later today.