• An explosion and fire in St. Helier, Jersey, kill one and leave many missing.
• Police chief calls the scene a “devastating scene”.
• Three-story building “totally fallen,” cops say; rescue underway.

On the British self-governing island of Jersey, an explosion and fire at an apartment building resulted in one death on Saturday and numerous unaccounted for.

Two persons were being treated in a hospital following the event in St Helier, the island’s capital, according to States of Jersey Police Chief Officer Robin Smith, who also said that “about a dozen” citizens were still missing.

Just before 4 a.m. local time, local police were made aware of the event, according to Smith, who also noted that emergency personnel came to the location and put out the fire.

Smith stated that the three-story structure has “totally fallen,” calling the scene a “devastating scene.”

In addition, he added that between 20 and 30 people had been moved to a neighboring town hall for shelter after a number of flats had been evacuated.

For those who are missing, a search and rescue effort has begun, Smith noted.

Jersey is an island territory off the coast of France’s northwest that belongs to the British Crown but is not actually a part of the UK.

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