Jersey explosion: criminal inquiry possible as five confirmed dead

Nine people feared killed after blast destroys block of flats in the capital, St Helier

Nine people are feared to have been killed and a criminal investigation could be launched after a suspected gas explosion destroyed a block of flats in the centre of Jersey's capital, St Helier.

After a desperate day of searching among the debris, the island's chief of police, Robin Smith, confirmed that five people had died but said a further four remained missing, with the mission no longer in rescue mode.