London, Dec. 10 (BNA): One person was killed and several others are missing after an explosion occurred early this morning, Saturday, in a residential building on the island of Jersey, off the coast of northern France.
“Unfortunately we only have one confirmed fatality,” Jersey State Police Chief Constable Robin Smith said in a video statement. Reuters said the explosion occurred just before 0400 GMT and the fire has since been put out.
Smith confirmed that fire services were called to the property on the Friday before the blast after residents reported the smell of gas. He did not comment on the cause of the explosion and said it would be investigated.
Smith said a three-storey building located near the harbor in the island’s capital, St Helier, had completely collapsed and a search and rescue operation had begun to find about a dozen others missing.
He said that between 20 and 30 people had been evacuated and that there were two “wounded on foot” receiving treatment in hospital.
In response to a question about the possibility of more deaths, he said: “There must be an acknowledgment that we could have more deaths.”
Jersey is a British Crown Dependency with a population of just over 100,000 people.
“It is a huge shock to everyone this morning, but above all, we offer our condolences to the families affected and all of us are thinking and praying for those who are concerned for their loved ones this morning,” said Christina Moore, the Prime Minister. jersey.
M