Police confirm Jersey explosion death toll rises to 5

LONDON

Five people have died with at least four missing following an explosion at a block of flats on the British Crown island of Jersey, police have confirmed.

The explosion occurred at 4 a.m. Saturday in the capital St. Helier when firefighters were called to the three-story Haut du Mont residential block site after residents reported a suspected gas leak.

Jersey's gas supplier, Island Energy, said it is working with the fire department to find the exact reason for the incident.

Chief of Police Robin Smith said Sunday evening that in addition to five confirmed deaths, "there are still a number of residents, we are working on the assumption of four, that remain unaccounted for.”

Smith added there were several "areas of focus" in the search for bodies and that families of the victims "continue to be supported by special officers.”

He told a press conference: "That will take time. We are not going to be here for days we are likely to be here for weeks."

The explosion came close on the heels of another deadly incident last Thursday, when a collision off the coast left three fishermen missing.

The two incidents on Jersey, a self-governing Crown Dependency 137 kilometers (85 miles) from the British mainland, have reportedly had a huge impact on residents of the island, numbering a little over 100,000.