Following the Jersey flats explosion, seven persons have been confirmed deceased. Tributes are pouring in for the identified victims as it becomes clear that the structure was not linked to the island’s gas supply.
From all around the island, condolences have been offered in honor of the tragedy’s victims, and from Monday until Friday evening, flags will be flown at half-staff.
Following an island-wide moment of silence at 11 a.m. yesterday in commemoration, flowers have been placed near to the explosion site in St. Helier.
While they wait for further information on the missing, islanders have had the opportunity to write books of condolence in Parish and Public Halls all throughout the island.
Peter Bowler, 72, Raymond “Raymie” Brown, 71, Romeu and Louise de Almeida, 67 and 64, Derek and Sylvia Ellis, 61 and 73, and Billy Marsden, 62 are the seven out of the nine persons who are still unaccounted for.
The remaining two unidentified missing persons’ families have asked that their loved ones’ names not be released by the authorities.
One neighborhood resident, Sarah Pope, said on Facebook: “My sympathies are with the family.” I am eternally thankful to Peter, a nice guy who assisted my daughter in her karate practice.
When Sylvia worked with my Nan, we got to know her. I am equally appreciative. I simply pray that everyone’s family find all the solutions and heal to allow them to rest in peace. Simply said, it’s heartbreaking.
A another resident said, “I knew Romeu and Louise Almeida. They make a beautiful pair.
We send our sympathies to the families and friends of all the victims and extend our sincere condolences to them.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a suspected gas explosion that demolished a building of apartments in St Helier, the capital of Jersey, is thought to have killed nine people. Robin Smith, the head of police for the islands, has officially verified seven deaths.
Just hours before the explosion, around 8.36 p.m. on Friday, tenants of the three-story apartment building reported smelling gas. Chief Fire Officer Paul Brown said workers were dispatched to the building.
Sniffer dogs have been used by emergency personnel to frantically search through the wreckage and debris for any survivors of the explosion.
Despite the fact that a gas explosion is believed to be the most likely cause of the explosion, authorities have not “ruled out” conducting a criminal investigation and want to “keep all our options open.”
The residential building was not linked to the mains gas, according to Islands Energy Group’s CEO.
The region was safe since the mains gas network had not been impacted by the explosion and gas experts had just finished their work there, according to chief executive Jo Cox.
We wish to extend our thoughts and prayers to the families who have lost loved ones at this awful time, along with everyone in Jersey, Mrs. Cox added.
During this phase of recovery, Islands Energy is still collaborating with the emergency services. In order to convince the public that there is no problem with our gas network, we think that this is an isolated incidence.
“We will collaborate with the emergency services and the different channels to guarantee we are sharing the data required to determine precisely what occurred during this event,” the company said.
The gas network on the island is now undergoing safety testing by our experts; they expect to finish in the coming days.
“The poll has not yet shown any concerns,”
She said, “No, I don’t,” when asked whether she thought Islands Energy Group’s gas infrastructure had a part in the explosion. The structures did not use gas to power them. The mains network that ran past it was there, but it wasn’t being utilized for heating. The mains network has not been harmed.
“We have evaluated the region three days in a row, and we have found no gas at all.” It is completely secure.
To determine where the explosion started, we must go through the investigations. Although we can’t be certain, there is a possibility that it is gas.
She also verified that Island Energy Group’s engineers and the Fire Service were sent out on Friday night after someone reported smelling gas.
It is regular practice for the Fire and Rescue Service to contact us; we responded to the scene alongside them, the woman stated.
“I am reviewing every tape to see what really occurred at that moment. We got Fire and Rescue call center records informing us that it had been reported to us. It is customary practice for us to attend.
However, I want to draw our attention back to the reality that we don’t know that, and I don’t want to start hares racing. It is extremely normal for an explosion of this scale to be gas, she said.
Residents in St. Helier who lived close to the damaged building said the explosion “sounded like an earthquake.”
On Saturday, Jersey Bulls FC gathered before their game against Horley to offer a moment of silence.
The club issued the following statement: “Jersey and Horley assemble to observe a minute of silence for the horrific tragedy that have transpired in Jersey this week.
The relatives and friends of those who were lost at sea and in the explosion this morning are in our thoughts and prayers.
A vigil ceremony will be conducted in the Town Church tomorrow at 6 o’clock, giving the community a chance to grieve and pay further homage.
‘My thoughts and prayers are foremost with the families of those who have perished and those who are still awaiting word of their loved ones as well as others who have also been driven from their homes,’ Jersey’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, said during a press conference.
“I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the members of our emergency service personnel.”
The loud noise could be heard all around the island, and a huge column of smoke could be seen rising from the vicinity of Mount Bingham.
As the blast’s intensity blasted out the windows of adjoining buildings, shattered glass was seen dispersed over nearby streets.
The smoldering remnants of the three-story structure that had totally fallen were surrounded by the wreckage of a collapsed crane.
In the wake of the explosion, glass and debris can possibly be on the roofs of the neighboring structures.
Police said the bomb site, near Haut du Mont on Pier Road, was “very hazardous” and still had “pockets of fire” some hours after the explosion.
Pier Road and South Hill are still off-limits to both pedestrians and vehicles, however Commercial Buildings and Mount Bingham have now been reopened.
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