Jersey explosion: At least three people dead after ‘ferocious’ blast at block of flats in St Helier
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 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”.
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At leaast three people have died and
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 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 “coordinated 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 strength of the community and “compassion” of islanders.
NHS England has warned the health service is facing a “worst case scenario” December with a surge of “super flu”.
The warning comes as new figures revealed the number of people in hospital with flu have increased by more than half in just one week.
Catch up as it happened: NHS warns of ‘worst-case scenario’ as ‘super flu’ surges
Latest figures show:
• An average of 2,660 patients were in hospital per day with flu last week
• This is the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% on last week
• At this point last year the number stood at 1,861 patients, while in 2023 it was just 402
Health service bosses are warning the number of flu patients in hospital has already increased sharply since the week covered by this data – with no peak in sight.
Read more: Why is flu season worse this year?
Virus outbreaks coincide with doctors’ strikes
Weekly flu numbers in England peaked at 5,408 patients last winter and reached 5,441 over the winter of 2022/23, the highest level since the pandemic.
Alongside rocketing flu, the number of norovirus patients in hospital has also risen by 35%.
The NHS is now warning winter viruses are starting to “engulf hospitals”.
Demand for A&Es and ambulance services is also soaring.
New monthly figures show A&E attendances were a record for November at 2.35 million – more than 30,000 higher than November 2024.
In addition, there were 48,814 more ambulance incidents (802,525) compared with last year (753,711).
Some hospitals across the country have asked staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to cut the spread of flu, while others have gone in and out of critical incident status due to the high number of people attending A&E.
The record-breaking demand on the NHS coincides with a resident doctors’ strike from 17 to 22 December over pay and jobs – sparking fears of major disruption for patients in the run up to Christmas.
People are being advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the strikes unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
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Will doctors accept late deal to avoid strikes?
Flu vaccinations on the up… who can get one?
The NHS is urging anyone eligible to get their flu vaccination to help prevent them getting seriously ill.
Latest figures show more than 17.4 million people have been vaccinated so far this year, more than 381,000 higher than last year.
You can get it if you:
• Are 65 or over in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Are pregnant
• Live in a care home
• Are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive carer’s allowance
• Live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Are a frontline health and social care worker
• Are of school age
• Have certain medical conditions (the NHS has a full list)
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, warned of a “tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals”.
“We are working with the NHS to make sure it is able to cope with this as best as possible,” he said.
Warning ‘extremely challenging few weeks ahead’
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, warned the health service faces “an extremely challenging few weeks ahead” with “staff being pushed to the limit”.
She said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors’ strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.
“The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year. Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”
She added: “We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.
“For non-life-threatening care, people should call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place, and use A&E and 999 for life threatening conditions and serious injuries.”
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Mr Streeting has offered the British Medical Association (BMA) a last-minute deal in the hope doctors will call off the walkout, which starts next Wednesday.
The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming day, and is expected to announced a decision on Monday, just two days before the planned strike.
The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.
The spread of subclade K, the super flu, is picking up – and it’s not looking good for the NHS.
An average of just under 2,700 hospital beds a day in England were occupied by patients with flu last week.
There are fears that could jump to somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 by the end of this week.
That’s on top of COVID and RSV.
And with the possibility of a five-day strike by resident (junior) doctors next week, it’s a perfect storm for hospitals.
An NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London. Pic: PA
Christmas flu
Children are the super-spreaders of flu. It races around classrooms and some schools have temporarily shut because of the impact.
The Christmas holidays aren’t far off. They are likely to put the brakes on children passing around the virus.
But it’s also a time of year when families mix with elderly relatives, who are more likely to be hit hard by the infection – perhaps even needing hospital care.
So while the holidays may temporarily slow the overall rise in infections, the impact on hospitals could get much worse.
File pic: PA
Subclade K
Flu is spreading so rapidly at the moment because immunity to subclade K from previous infections and vaccinations is low.
The virus – a variant of the H3N2 flu strain – suddenly acquired seven new mutations in late summer.
Every 100 people infected with seasonal flu would typically pass the virus on to 120 others.
With subclade K, it’s 140.
And that’s why cases are rising so quickly on the charts.
At the moment, 18 in every 100,000 patients in England are consulting their GP with flu-like symptoms. That’s still well short of the peak of around 50 in every 100,000 in 2017/18, the worst flu outbreak in recent years.
File pic: PA
The grim reality of flu
Flu is a really unpleasant disease, nothing like a cold. I’ve had it twice in my life and it physically hurt to get out of bed. It’s grim.
Most people get over it with a few days’ rest and paracetamol to take the edge off the fever.
But vulnerable people can become seriously ill. In the outbreak of 2017/18, around 22,000 died.
Read more:
Nurses ‘deeply concerned about what lies ahead’
NHS braced for ‘toughest winter’ after record-breaking month
That’s why the NHS is urging people in certain groups – the over 65s, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, carers and children – to get the jab.
The vaccine isn’t a great match for subclade K, but still reduces the chance of hospital admission by 30-40% in adults.
It’s impossible to say when the spread will peak, but the latest figures suggest the outbreak is far from over.
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