Explosion investigation cost reaches £2.7m

The fatal blast led to a large section of the road in St Helier to be closed for many months

The cost of the investigation into an explosion which killed 10 people in Jersey has reached £2.7m, it has been revealed.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Deputy Mary Le Hegarat told the States Assembly the cost of Operation Spire - investigating the Pier Road explosion - had reached £2,707,745 by the end of 2023.

The fatal blast happened in a block of flats on 10 December 2022 and led to a large section of the road in St Helier to be closed until May this year.

Jersey Police arrested three men on the suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, who were all released on conditional bail.

Ms Le Hegarat told the assembly she would try to get a more updated figure on Operation Spire's cost in due course.

'Complex investigation'

Ms Le Hegarat said that, while she could not say when the public would be updated on the blast's cause, affected families were being updated regularly.

She said: "The public will not be informed about the cause at this stage.

"The ongoing investigation is complex and, while a working hypothesis was established in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, a definitive understanding of the cause requires detailed expert opinion and evidence."

The minister added the final experts report had been received and informed what the investigation strategy was.