Rescuers spent the night searching for survivors after a massive explosion at homes in Saint Helier, the capital of the British Channel Islands of Jersey, flattened a low-rise apartment building and killed at least three people. Hours before the explosion, someone reported a gas leak.
Surveillance footage showed fireballs engulfing the three-story apartment building in St Helier, the capital of the Channel Islands island of Jersey, leaving several people missing, AFP reported.
The blast occurred around 4:00 a.m. (local time), hours after reports of a gas leak in the Bay Area neighborhood.
Chief Minister Kristina Moore confirmed at least three people had died.
Nearby resident Abbott (Anthony Abbott) told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that the windows of his apartment were shattered by the force of the explosion, and “there were fires everywhere outside.” We’re lucky we’re okay.”
Island Energy, the gas supplier in Jersey, said it was working with the fire department to clarify the situation. Police said the fire had been extinguished, but emergency services were doing “essential work” at the scene and the search and rescue operation could take several days.
Jersey Police Chief Robin Smith said that the apartment had become like a “pancake” after the explosion.
Smith said earlier that “about a dozen people” were missing and two others were taken to hospital and released.
Police said special machines had been deployed with the help of urban search and rescue teams from southern England to search for people in the rubble.