‘We are thinking of you’ States tells Jersey after tragedies
Flags in Guernsey are being flown at half-mast today, as islanders across the Bailiwick stand in solidarity with neighbours in Jersey, following the two tragic accidents in the past week.
When this month’s States meeting begins this morning, deputies will will hold a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.
The States Of Guernsey has sent this message to Jersey: ‘From our islands to yours, we are sending you love and strength. “Nou pense a vous” – we are thinking of you.’
Guernsey Police has also sent three specialist officers to Jersey to assist at the site of the Haut du Mont explosion.
At least seven people have now been confirmed dead as emergency services continue to search the site of the apartments where an explosion occurred at 4am on Saturday morning.
The officers will assist the emergency services with the search and recovery operation.
A Guernsey Police spokesman said: ‘Our thoughts remain with those affected in this tragic incident, and we are pleased to be able to provide assistance to our colleagues in Jersey.’
The cause of the explosion has still not been established.
In a press conference yesterday afternoon Jersey Chief of Police Robin Smith said the most relevant hypothesis that his department was working on was that this was a gas explosion.
However the chief executive of utility company Islands Energy Group chief executive Jo Cox said earlier that day, when she spoke to the media outside IEG’s headquarters, that the building was not connected to mains gas, but did confirm that gas engineers had worked recently at the site.
She also confirmed that IEG engineers were also called out on Friday night, when the fire service were contacted by residents after they smelled gas.
Asked if it was assumed that gas had caused the explosion, Mrs Cox said: ‘It is very typical for an explosion of this size that it is gas, but I want to bring us back to the fact that we don’t know that.’
