Summary

  • Updates on Wednesday 24 February 2016

  • More news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Thursday

  1. Social media tributespublished at 14:27 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    We heard David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn offering their condolences during in Prime Minister's Questions earlier.

    Plenty of you are also sending your thoughts and prayers to the friends and families of yesterday's collapse victims.

    Here are some that have been sent using the #Didcot hastag on Twitter, external:

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  2. 'No signs of life' in Didcot rubblepublished at 14:09 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Chief fire officer David Etheridge and Assistant Chief Constable Scot Chilton have finished delivering a news conference.

    Here are the key points:

    • "No signs of life" have been picked up from listening devices that have been used at the site
    • Attempts have been made to contact the three missing people via their work radios but received no response
    • It is "highly unlikely" that they are alive
    • Sniffer dogs, listening devices and drones have been used in the search
    • The structure is "unsafe" and "unstable"
    • The use of robots to sift through the wreckage is now being considered 
    • Progress is being made but the operation may take "several days possibly several weeks"

    Didcot Power Station collapse
  3. Huge risk that the rest of the building might still collapsepublished at 13:50 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    BBC South Today's Peter Cooke is at Didcot Power Station and has been listening to an update from the police and fire service.

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  4. 'Highly unlikely' that missing three people are alivepublished at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016
    Breaking

    Oxfordshire's chief fire officer David Etheridge says it's "highly unlikely" that the three people who are missing after part of Didcot Power Station collapsed are alive.

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  5. Watch: David Cameron's tribute to Didcot victimpublished at 13:36 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    David Cameron opened Prime Minister's Questions with a tribute to the victims of "dreadful accident" at Didcot Power Station, and the emergency services that have been working at the scene.

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  6. Didcot rescue effort supported by crews from around the countrypublished at 13:16 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Fire crews working to find the missing workers in Didcot have been joined by colleagues from brigades around the UK, including Essex's who released Graham Currie and eight-year-old springer spaniel Kirby to help with the effort.

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    Quote Message

    The scene there is one of total devastation...I have never seen anything like it before.

    Graham Currie, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

  7. Latest aerial footage of Didcot Power Stationpublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    The latest video shot from the air shows rescue workers in around the devastated power station building.

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  8. Prime Minister sends his 'sincere condolences' to the family of the victimpublished at 12:30 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    David Cameron offered his "sincere condolences" to the family and friends of the victim of the building collapse at Didcot and his "best wishes to the injured and those still missing".

    David Cameron speaking at Prime Minister Questions

    Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, he added that ministerial meetings on the matter had already happened with further meetings taking place today.

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also sent his condolences and said it highlighted the importance of our emergency services "which we rely on."

  9. What we know so farpublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Rescue crews are still at work following the collapse of the 10 storey steel and concrete boiler house at Didcot A Power Station yesterday.

    • Three people are still missing and rescue crews have been using sniffer dogs and drones as they search the wreckage
    • One person has died
    • No significant signs of life have been detected, but Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service say that does not mean there aren't people alive in the building
    • Local MP Ed Vaizey said the man who died, and the missing men, are understood to be from the north of England
    • Five people are being treated in hospital, four are in a stable condition, and one's condition is described as life threatening
    • The building was due to be demolished and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed

    Collapsed building at Didcot Power Station

    This is the latest information we have, but of course we will bring you any news as soon as we get it. There will also be updates through out the afternoon on BBC Radio Oxford.

  10. Ed Vaizey: 'People feel a huge amount of affection for the power station'published at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Local MP Ed Vaizey spoke to Radio Oxford's Amanda Dellor before going onto the Didcot A site this morning.

    He said it was a horrific sight and once again praised the emergency services for their quick response.

    Collapsed Building at Didcot Power Station

    Mr Vaizey said the power station's helped Didcot forge an identity over the years and is held in huge affection.

    He also said that Downing Street and other relevant government departments are being kept informed.

  11. 'We're all just waiting for news'published at 11:36 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    BBC Radio Oxford

    Rachel Gaffka is one of the Didcot residents that have been sharing their recollections of the power station collapse with BBC Radio Oxford.

    She walked down to the power station yesterday after seeing a video of what happened on social media, and described it as a chaotic scene with "sirens from every direction".

    Rachel Gaffka

    Rachel said there was a subdued atmosphere in Didcot today.  

    Quote Message

    Didcot is at this low point now where we're all just waiting for news

    Rachel Gaffka, Didcot resident

  12. 'I heard a massive explosion behind me'published at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Blaine Morris-Smith was walking his dog when he heard what he thought was an explosion, but was in fact the collapse of a building on the Didcot Power Station site.

    He filmed the aftermath with his phone, and told the BBC that children nearby had screamed at the noise.

  13. Specialist resources deployed to Didcotpublished at 10:57 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

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  14. Mayor of Didcot: 'We're absolutely stunned'published at 10:35 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    The Mayor of Didcot, Des Healy, worked at the power station for 27 years and says he's been fielding non-stop phone calls since the news of the collapse broke.

    Cllr Des Healy

    Cllr Healy said Didcot had been left stunned, but its residents would rally following the shock.

    Quote Message

    We're a small town with a big heart, we'll cope and we'll come through this.

    Cllr Des Healy, Mayor of Didcot

  15. Update: No significant signs of life found so farpublished at 10:19 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Oxfordshire's Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Simon Furlong, has provided an update on the search for three missing men following the collapse of a building a Didcot Power Station.

    Media caption,

    The search for survivors at Didcot Power Station is "challenging" Simon Furlong says

    Quote Message

    “We've had no significant signs [of life], but that doesn't mean to say there isn't saveable lives still within the building.”

    Simon Furlong, Oxfordshire's Assistant Chief Fire Officer

  16. County council leader pays tribute to emergency servicespublished at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

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  17. What we know so farpublished at 09:50 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Rescue crews are continuing to search for three missing people following the collapse of a building at Didcot A Power Station:

    • Three people are missing after the collapse of a building that is around 300m long and about 60m high
    • One person has died
    • Sniffer dogs, rescue equipment and drones have been used in the search
    • There have been reports that the dogs have reacted, but no signs of life have been detected yet
    • Wantage MP Ed Vaizey said the man who died, and the missing men, are understood to be from the north of England
    • Five people are being treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, four are in a stable condition, and one's condition is described as life threatening
    • The building was due to be demolished and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed

    We'll be bringing you the latest developments as we get them, and they'll be updates on BBC Radio Oxford through out today.

  18. Rescue dogs 'can pick up a human scent from half a mile away'published at 09:30 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    BBC Radio Oxford

    Paul Durham of the National Search and Rescue Dog Association, external has been giving an insight into the abilities of rescue dogs.

    Didcot wreckage

    As dogs can smell humans from so far away, Paul said you'd only need to walk them around the wreckage site and they'll be able to pick up the scent, as long as the wind is blowing.   

  19. Devastated power station viewed from Didcot Parkwaypublished at 09:18 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    The damage to Didcot Power Station was clearly visible from around the town this morning, such as in this picture tweeted by Tom North.

    Didcot Power StationImage source, Tom North
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  20. 'Thoughts and prayers for Didcot collapse families'published at 09:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 February 2016

    Tributes have been paid on social media using the #Didcot hastag, external.

    These are just a few of the tweets that have been sent:

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