Jersey flats explosion: Seven people missing after blast named

Jersey Police/PA

Jersey Police have named seven of those missing following an explosion at a block of flats on the island. They are Peter Bowler, 72, Raymond (Raymie) Brown, 71, Romeu and Louise De Almeida, aged 67 and 64, Derek and Sylvia Ellis, aged 61 and 73, and Billy Marsden, 63.

Five people died following the blast at the three-storey Haut du Mont block in St Helier on Saturday. The seven who have been publicly named are among a dozen still believed to be missing. The cause of the blast remains under investigation.

A police statement released on Monday said: “The families of seven islanders missing since the incident at the Haut du Mont site on Pier Road have released their identities. The families, supported by officers within the family liaison team, made the decision this afternoon as the recovery operation continues.”

It added: “The identities of the other islanders will be released at a later date.”

On Sunday, Jersey Police said specialist officers would continue to survey the scene, alongside fire and ambulance services and tactical advisers from Urban Search and Rescue. They added that they had identified several areas of focus at the site where bodies might be located.

Clockwise from left: Raymond Brown, Romeu and Louise De Almeida, Billy Marsden, Peter Bowler and Derek and Sylvia Ellis (Jersey Police/PA)

Earlier on Monday, residents began returning to their homes as police reduced the cordon around the blast site.

Jersey Police chief Robin Smith said on Sunday that the “likely” cause of the explosion was a gas leak, but Jo Cox, chief officer at Island Energy, said the flats affected were not connected to the gas network. The company is safety-testing the entire island’s gas supply.

Rescue workers have now moved into the recovery phase (PA)

A statement released on Monday afternoon by Ms Cox, reported in the Jersey Evening Post, said: “Island Energy continues to work alongside the emergency services as they continue their recovery operation. The company will conduct its own investigation into what happened, as well as helping the various official inquiries.

“Our engineers are safety-testing the island’s gas network, and this will be completed in the next few days. No issues have been detected in the survey so far.”