Kathy McGinness (73) lived in a neighbouring building to the block of flats destroyed in the explosion (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
A tenth person has died after an explosion at a block of flats in Jersey earlier this month.
Kathleen ‘Kathy’ McGinness, 73, lived in a neighbouring building to the one destroyed in the blast at the Haut du Mont complex on Saturday 10 December 2022.
Since the incident on Pier Road, she had been receiving treatment at Jersey’s General Hospital, where she died on Christmas Day.
The blast, which took place just after 4am on 10 December, destroyed the building in St Helier.
Last week the States of Jersey police confirmed postmortems had been carried out and the nine people named as missing had been identified as those who died.
The victims were Peter Bowler, 72; Raymond (Raymie) Brown, 71; Romeu and Louise De Almeida, 67 and 64; Derek and Sylvia Ellis, 61 and 73; Ken and Jane Ralph, 72 and 71; and 63-year-old Billy Marsden.
Police have announced a tenth person has died after the explosion in St Helier earlier this month (Picture: PA)
Tributes have previously been paid to seven of the ten people killed in the explosion (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
Peter Bowler (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
Billy Marsden (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
Romeu and Louise de Almeida (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
Derek and Sylvia Ellis (Picture: State of Jersey Police)
Raymond ‘Raymie’ Brown (Picture: States of Jersey Police)
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Speaking to the states assembly, the island’s representative body, two days after the incident, Jersey’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, said the police investigation would be rigorous and independent.
She said: ‘The devastating explosion at Haut du Mont has shocked everyone in the island and around the world.
‘I’m sure members [of the assembly] will have seen the footage, which makes for painful viewing, and is unprecedented for Jersey in modern times.
‘Put simply, most of us will have never seen anything like it.
‘Alongside the ongoing recovery operation, a police investigation into the events that led to the explosion is underway.
‘Again, that investigation will be independent at every stage, and will provide the facts of what happened for the families and loved ones of everyone involved.”
Jersey’s entire gas system has been put under investigation and the possibility of a criminal investigation has not been ruled out.
Emergency personnel at the scene (Picture: EPA)
Nine people died in the explosion (Picture: EPA)
The blast destroyed a block of flats (Picture: Getty)
Police said they will likely be searching through the rubble for weeks (Picture: PA)
Reports have suggested that on the Friday evening before the disaster, the fire service was called at 8.36pm to a suspected gas leak.
Officers at the scene handed over the case to Islands Energy about 30 minutes later.
Jersey’s Police Chief, Robin Smith, paid tribute to her family – and the families of all those who died in the tragedy: ‘This incident has been incredibly challenging for everyone involved and I would like to praise the families for their stoicism in the face of such tragic circumstances.
‘The island is right behind them and on-hand to support, but first and foremost we are there together to give them their privacy and time to grieve.’
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Kathleen is the tenth person to die after the explosion earlier this month..
