An islander living just 50m from today's explosion on Pier Road has described the sound as the “scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life.”
Melanie Davies, who lives on the crest of South Hill, was woken up by the explosion, which happened just before 04:00.
Speaking to Express, she said: "There is debris all over South Hill, including the Glacis Field and Rue de L'Est, which are both covered in roof insulation. Roof tiles also landed in our garden.
"Hearing the explosion was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life. I though initially that a car had crashed into our garden wall. I felt the whole house shake and a massive, powerful boom.
"The police were here very quickly – within minutes – and cordoned off the road. We cannot obviously access the Harbour side but residents can now go in and out on the eastern side. It was an incredibly scary experience."
Jersey Channel islands explosion pic.twitter.com/KqEUDtyqTo
— Daniel Hunt (@just_daniel1411) December 10, 2022
Many people living in the area were taken to the Town Hall after the explosion.
Among them was Luis Gomez, who was pulled out of his home by firefighters alongside his wife, Lucia.
Pictured: Constable Simon Crowcroft taking deliveries of supplies outside the Town Hall.
Speaking outside the Town Hall to reporters, he said: "The fire brigade were called last night at 21:00 because it smelt of gas.
"We live on the road in front of where the explosion was. The whole house is destroyed, the windows and doors got blown off. We woke up to the explosion and we couldn't move because there was too much smoke. The fire brigade had to pull us out, we were worried and scared.
"Andium have already sorted us some accommodation. We saw about six flats and three floors all completely collapsed."
Islands Energy Group said it is cooperating with the Emergency Services to establish what has happened.
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