Jersey’s fire chief has defended the emergency services’ response to a fatal explosion that levelled a block of flats, after it emerged firefighters had visited the building just hours earlier to investigate reports of a gas leak.
Paul Brown told a press conference on Sunday: “It is a tragic, tragic situation and we’re all devastated that islanders have been lost and their families and loved ones are suffering today and will continue to do so.
“It’s awful. But islanders can have confidence in their emergency services. Islanders can have confidence in the States of Jersey fire and rescue service.”
Read more: Search for bodies ‘will take weeks’
The blast ripped through the three-storey Haut du Mont block in Pier Road in the Channel Island’s capital at about 4am on Saturday. There are understood to have been six flats in the building.
The explosion was also captured on CCTV.
Three people are known to have died, and around a dozen people are still thought to be missing.
Jersey explosion: Rescuers continue search after ‘ferocious’ explosion at St Helier block of flats kills at least three
Jersey explosion: Scene of ‘utter devastation’ as police say search for missing people could ‘go on for days’
Three fishermen still missing off Jersey coast as search called off
Mr Brown confirmed that the fire service had been called to the building at 8.36pm on Friday and had carried out investigations after residents reported smelling gas. The blast took place around seven and a half hours later.
He said the explosion had been reported at around 4am, and he had been contacted at around 4.30am. He says a formal request was put in to Hampshire and Isle Of Wight Fire and Rescue Service for assistance, and it was immediately accepted.
Explaining that there were full logs of official timings, he labelled Jersey’s fire and rescue service “a brilliant service”, but said they were “a small fire and rescue service for a small jurisdiction,” hence needing assistance from neighbouring areas.
While he confirmed that firefighters had been called to the same building the previous night, he said he did not know if there were any additional call-outs to the flats in the days leading up to the explosion.
The fire chief acknowledged that something had gone “horribly wrong” and his service will be “co-operating fully” and “transparently” with investigations into what caused the blast.
Robin Smith, the chief officer at Jersey Police, said the recovery operation will now “take weeks” to complete due to the “painstaking” nature of the search.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Specialist teams from other parts of the UK, including the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, have been drafted in to aid the response.
Gas supplier Island Energy said it is working with the fire service to “understand exactly what has happened”.
Andium Homes, a state-owned but independent company who run the flats, says it is focusing on supporting residents at the estate.
Around 40 people are now being housed in alternative accommodation.
Kristina Moore, Jersey’s chief minister, said a call centre has been set up to co-ordinate efforts, and a fund has been put in place to support people displaced by the explosion.
