Jersey flats close to fatal explosion site to be demolished

A three-storey residential block on Pier Road, in St Helier, collapsed on 10 December

Buildings damaged in an explosion that killed 10 people in Jersey will be demolished, it has been announced.

The three-storey Haut du Mont residential block on Pier Road, in St Helier, collapsed on 10 December.

The Political Oversight Group for the Major Incidents said the flats in the "immediate impact zone" would be removed.

It also recommended a memorial should be put on the site. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.

The government group has supported a recommendation from Jersey's Recovery Coordination Group (RCG) and Andium Homes, to seek the removal of the most severely damaged blocks.

Explosion victims: (left to right) Ken and Jane Ralph, Derek and Sylvia Ellis and Romeu and Louise de Almeida

The Political Oversight Group for the Major Incidents made the recommendation for the blocks containing nine flats in the "immediate impact zone" - flats 22 to 26 and 33 to 36.

The government said the buildings were degrading due to water entering, particularly during high winds.

Ministers also considered "the continued presence of the buildings proving emotionally triggering for some most impacted by the incident".

Explosion victims: (left to right) Raymond Brown, Peter Bowler, Kathleen McGinness and Billy Marsden

The form of the memorial is to be agreed through consultation with the bereaved families, displaced residents and the wider community.

The remaining blocks, flats one to 21, will remain while the damage to them is fully assessed and the future of the site is considered, the government added.

Deputy Kirsten Morel, Deputy Chief Minister and chair of the Political Oversight Group for the Major Incidents, said: "The decision has been taken with the highest sensitivity and with the best interests of bereaved families, displaced residents, and our island community."

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