Lagatar24 Desk
Jersey, Dec 11: At least three people have died and a dozen are missing after an explosion at an apartment building in the Channel island of Jersey on Saturday, the island’s Chief Minister Kristina Moore said.
Police declined to speculate on the cause but residents had reported the smell of gas the night before the blast. The situation has not been designated as a terrorist incident, although authorities are investigating all avenues. The local police were informed about the incident just before 4 am.
Robin Smith, chief officer of the States of Jersey Police, said that emergency services responded to the site after the police were alerted about the incident. Smith further said the emergency services had extinguished the fire at the site of the explosion.
He also stated that the three-storey building has ‘completely collapsed’ and described the situation as a ‘devastating scene.’ Further, he said that several flats have been evacuated adding that 20 to 30 people have been taken to a nearby town hall for shelter.
A search and rescue operation has been started for those unaccounted for. As per the information, authorities have started an investigation to find the cause of the incident.
Notably, Jersey is an island territory off the northwest coast of France, which is a possession of the British Crown, but not part of the United Kingdom itself.
