At least three people have died in the wake of a “devastating” explosion at a three-storey tower block in Jersey.
Chief Minister Kristina Moore confirmed the latest total at a press conference following the explosion in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“Around a dozen” are feared missing after the “ferocious” blast at Haut du Mont on Pier Road in the Channel Island’s capital, St Helier.
Police described the scene as one of “utter devastation”, telling journalists how the tower block had “completely collapsed” and “doesn’t even look like a building” after the “very, very significant explosion”.
The States of Jersey Police were called to the scene at 4am, with one person pronounced dead and two others, described as “walking wounded”, taken to hospital.
They have since been discharged with a third person receiving treatment for non-serious injuries, medics said.
A blaze ignited by the explosion was initially believed to have been extinguished, with emergency services “carrying out significant work” at the scene.
However on Saturday afternoon police said “pockets of fire” have been discovered, adding that the site remains “highly unsafe”.
The South West Hazardous Area Response Team, together with an urban search and rescue team from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, have been deployed to assist.
The fire service was called to the area at around 8.30pm on Friday night after residents reported smelling gas.
Emergency services were called to Haut du Mont on Pier Road around 4am on Saturday morning
Cause of blast remains unknown
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, as emergency crews say their number one priority is to locate anyone who is alive in the rubble.
Robin Smith, chief officer at States of Jersey Police, said there are a “number of working hypotheses” but stressed it was important not to speculate.
A senior detective has been assigned to look into the incident, which could be a “criminal or joint investigation”, he said.
When asked about what could cause such a “ferocious” explosion, chief fire officer Paul Brown said there are “many different potential causes” but it is too early to speculate.
When pressed about whether the explosion happened near a mains gas supply, he replied: “We have been in dialogue with utility companies throughout the day.”
Emergency services coordinating their efforts at the scene in St Helier Pic: Facebook/Jersey Government
Emergency services were called to Haut du Mont on Pier Road around 4am on Saturday morning
‘This isn’t going to finish today’
Mr Smith described the scene as one of “complete devastation”.
He said “significant progress” had been made thanks to a “co-ordinated effort” to deal with the tragedy, with the search for missing people set to continue throughout the night.
But he warned the incident was “protracted” and would likely go on for “days, maybe weeks”.
“It is important we have the resilience to continue and keep going,” he told the press conference, adding: “This isn’t going to finish today.”
Specially trained officers have been deployed to Jersey town hall to provide support to people affected by the incident, which will continue “way beyond” the search and rescue phase, Mr Smith said.
Emergency services coordinating their efforts at the scene in St Helier Pic: Facebook/Jersey Government
‘Unimaginable tragedy’
Ms Moore described the incident as an “unimaginable tragedy”.
She told the conference: “As we know at 4am this morning our island experienced an unimaginable tragedy taking the life of at least three islanders.
“The last 12 hours have demonstrated to me the resilience, skill and dedication of our emergency services and our community as a whole.”
Ms Moore said her thoughts were with the people whose loved ones had died, those waiting for news and anyone forced to leave their home.
She also offered her “sincere thanks” to emergency crews who have worked tirelessly through the night and hailed the “compassion” of islanders.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident and commended the work of the emergency services response, adding: “We stand ready to support in any way we can”.
A man has been found dead among the debris following an explosion at a house in Nottinghamshire.
Emergency services were called to John Street, Worksop, on Saturday evening after reports that a house had collapsed in the blast, and a major incident was declared.
Nottinghamshire Police said on Sunday afternoon that the body of a man in his 50s was later recovered in the wreckage and, despite the best efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene.
The explosion destroyed a terraced property in John Street. Pic: PA
Nearby homes were evacuated following the blast. Pic:: PA
Firefighters from the town were joined at the scene by crews from Warsop and Mansfield, and Clowne in Derbyshire, after the incident happened at 7.39pm.
The terraced property was “partially destroyed” and neighbouring homes suffered “significant damage”, Nottinghamshire Police said, with people evacuated from multiple properties.
Videos posted on social media showed the front of a terraced house blown out and the roof collapsed, while neighbouring houses suffered damage to windows.
A Facebook user reported a “huge” bang that shook the surrounding properties, while another described “a terrific bang, like a very loud firework”.
Chief Inspector Clive Collings, from Nottinghamshire Police, described it as “an extremely serious incident that has led to a man’s untimely death”.
Nearby houses were evacuated
Pic: YappApp
He said the incident “will have come as a shock to the community in Worksop” and specially trained officers are supporting the man’s family, who have been told of his death.
“Anyone who may have been in the area at the time is now accounted for,” he added.
Chief Inspector Collings said the cordon and road closures will probably remain in place for some time while investigations continue.
Multiple residents from in and around John Street were asked to leave, he said, and are being supported by Nottinghamshire County Council staff.
He warned people against using drones as flying a drone over or near an ongoing emergency response without permission is an offence.
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An emergency bill to save British Steel’s Scunthorpe blast furnaces has become law.
The urgent legislation gives ministers the power to instruct British Steel to keep the plant open.
The bill was rushed through the House of Commons and House of Lords in one day, with MPs and peers being recalled from recess to take part in a Saturday sitting for the first time in over 40 years.
Emergency bill becomes law – follow the latest reaction here
An emergency bill to save British Steel’s Scunthorpe blast furnaces has passed. Pic: Reuters
After passing through both houses of parliament, the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Bill was granted royal assent by the King.
The bill gives the government the power to take control of British Steel – or any other steel asset – “using force if necessary”, order materials for steelmaking and instruct that workers be paid. It also authorises a jail sentence of up to two years for anyone breaching this law.
Sir Keir Starmer hailed the legislation for “turning the page on a decade of decline”, adding “all options are on the table to secure the future of the industry”.
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What is the future of British Steel?
It will mean the steel plant in Scunthorpe will continue to operate as the government decides on a long-term strategy, and steelmaking in the UK more broadly.
Officials from the Department for Business and Trade arrived at the site before the bill had even passed, Sky News understands.
Earlier, staff from the plant’s ousted Chinese owners Jingye were denied access, with police called over a “suspected breach of peace” – though officers found “no concerns”.
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The role of steel in the UK economy
Ministers took the unusual step of recalling parliament from its recess to sit on Saturday after negotiations with Jingye appeared to break down.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the measures within the bill were “proportionate and necessary” to keep the Scunthorpe blast furnaces open and protect both the UK’s primary steelmaking capacity and the 3,500 jobs involved.
The emergency legislation stops short of full nationalisation of British Steel, but Mr Reynolds told MPs that public ownership remained the “likely option” for the future.
Read more:
British Steel employees express fears over plant’s future
Why the hot spring weather is sliding away
During the debate, several Conservative MPs, Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice and the Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader Daisy Cooper all spoke in favour of nationalisation.
MPs had broken up for the Easter holidays on Tuesday and had not been due to return until Tuesday 22 April.
The business secretary accused Jingye of failing to negotiate “in good faith” after it decided to stop buying enough raw materials to keep the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe going.
But the Conservatives said the government should have acted sooner, with shadow leader of the house Alex Burghart accusing ministers of making “a total pig’s breakfast” of the situation regarding British Steel.
The government was also criticised for acting to save the Scunthorpe plant but not taking the same action when the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot were threatened with closure.
A major incident has been declared in Nottinghamshire after a gas explosion caused a house to collapse.
There is still a “substantial emergency service presence” in place after the explosion in John Street, Worksop just after 7.30pm on Saturday.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) declared it a “major incident” and said “multiple houses in and around John Street have been evacuated”. Nearby Crown Place Community Centre has been opened as a “place of safety”, the service said. Around 20 people have sought refuge there, Sky News camera operator James Evans-Jones said from the scene.
Videos posted on social media showed the front of a terraced house blown out with the roof collapsed, while neighbouring houses had their windows damaged.
NFRS said in a statement late on Saturday: “This has now been declared a major incident, and we are likely to be on scene throughout the night and even into Sunday morning.”
The fire service said it was called to the scene at 7.39pm.
The back of the property where the explosion happened in Worksop. Pic: YappApp
Pic: YappApp
“This is a gas explosion involving a house that has been significantly damaged,” the service said in a previous statement.
One person posted on Facebook that they heard “a terrific bang, like a very loud firework” as they turned into Gladstone Street from Gateford Road.
“I thought the back end had blown off my car,” they said. “A house in John Street has had, presumably, a gas explosion!”
Emergency services at the scene on Saturday. Pic: YappApp
NFRS said it was also called to a separate incident shortly afterwards but does not believe the two are connected.
Ten fire engines were sent to the scene of the industrial fire in nearby Holgate Road in The Meadows, Nottingham.
“The building has been severely damaged but there are no reports of any injuries,” NFRS said.
Having been called to the incident at 8.11pm, NFRS said at around 10.30pm that it was scaling its response down with the flames “now under control”.
NFRS’s group manager Leigh Holmes said from the scene just after 11pm: “We will begin to relax the cordon in the next hour as we continue to scale down this incident.”
A damaged building at The Meadows in Nottingham. Pic: NFRS
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