Emergency services in Jersey are treating an explosion at a block of flats as a “recovery operation” rather than a search and rescue, the police chief has said, with 12 people still missing.
Three people died on Saturday after the explosion at Haut du Mont, Pier Road, in the capital, St Helier.
On Sunday morning, Robin Smith, the chief constable of Jersey Police, 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 after a detailed evaluation and after the use of specialist K9 units.
“Disaster victim identification strategies are in place and specialist officers are surveying the scene with fire and ambulance services and urban search and rescue tactical advisers.”
The explosion was confirmed to have occurred at around 4am on Saturday, less than eight hours after firefighters were called to the scene due to concerns from residents.
Two people who were in the hospital Saturday were released and another person was treated for non-serious injuries.
At a press conference on Saturday afternoon alongside the chief of the fire, police and ambulance services, the island’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, said it was an “unimaginable tragedy” for the island of channel
He added: “This will take a few days and we will keep everyone updated and fully informed, and we will do everything we can to ensure everyone is properly looked after.”
Specialist teams were mobilized to find someone trapped in the rubble, police said, assisted by an urban search and rescue team from southern England.
On Saturday, Smith said the scene was “complete devastation.”
Police said the site remained “highly unsafe”, with “pockets of fire” discovered hours after the “very, very large” blast.
Fire Chief Paul Brown added: “The main challenge is the fact that we have a dangerous structure that has collapsed… Everything we do, or do incorrectly, can jeopardize the chances of survival of anyone who can be rescued”.
The operation would continue “for days, maybe weeks,” Smith said, adding that “it was important to have the resources to continue.”
Brown also revealed that firefighters were called to the scene at 8.36pm on Friday and an investigation was carried out.
Asked if this had anything to do with the explosion, he said: “I can confirm that the fire and rescue service attended. I don’t know the exact number of firefighters but they did attend.
“I know they did investigations, but I think right now what I’m focused on is just emergency response.
“I’ll give you an answer, but what I’d like to do right now is focus on the emergency response, talk to my colleagues and take into account those aspects that are under investigation, and make sure you don’t I say. something I have to tell someone else first.”
Smith said it would not be helpful to speculate on what happened at this stage. The cause of the explosion is unknown.