LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Three people have been killed and about 12 others are missing in an explosion at an apartment complex on the northern French island of Jersey early Saturday morning, officials said.
“Unfortunately, there are currently three fatalities,” Jersey Police Chief Robin Smith said at a news conference.
The explosion occurred just before 0400 GMT and has since been extinguished. Emergency services will continue to search for survivors through the night, Smith said.
He confirmed firefighters called the facility Friday night before the explosion after residents reported smelling gas. .
Smith said a three-story building near the harbor in the island’s capital, St. Helier, had completely collapsed.
He said between 20 and 30 people had been evacuated and two “walking wounded” were being treated in hospital.
Jersey is a British Crown Dependency with a population of just over 100,000.
Reported by William James. Additional reporting by Kate Holton.Edited by Alex Richardson and Clelia Oziel
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