9th person confirmed dead in UK's Jersey flats explosion

LONDON

A ninth person was confirmed dead Thursday following an explosion at a block of flats that shook the island of Jersey last Saturday, according to police.

All residents are accounted for no one missing, said authorities.

"The thoughts of all of us at States of Jersey Police are with everyone affected, in particular those who lost loved ones in what has been a tragic incident for our Island and our community," said Police Chief Robin Smith.

Smith confirmed that formal identifications of the victims are still to be conducted.

“The disaster victim identification process will be carefully considered and managed in a dignified and compassionate way,” he added.

Authorities suspect the cause was gas as residents reported smelling gas hours before the explosion. But the chief executive of Island Energy, which supplies gas to the Channel Islands, reportedly said the flats affected by the fire were not connected to the gas network.

Jersey's chief fire officer Paul Brown was previously quoted in media reports as saying there were "many different potential causes" and it was too early to speculate.

Emergency services confirmed that a search operation will continue until the site has been fully cleared.

An independent investigation into the fire has been initiated.