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Tragedy
Three people missing "highly unlikely to be alive" after UK power station explosion
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Updated 17.39
THREE PEOPLE WHO remain missing following a ‘massive’ explosion yesterday at a power station in Didcot, Oxfordshire, are “highly unlikely to be alive” according to rescue services conducting the search.
One person has died with five so far injured following the “major incident” at the formerly coal-fired power station, which was decommissioned in 2013.
Thus far in the search today there have been “no signs of life detected” at the scene according to David Etheridge, chief fire officer with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Etheridge added that it is “highly unlikely” that the remaining missing persons are alive.
Didcot power station had been slated for demolition in the near future, while part of the structure had already been demolished in 2014.
Etheridge said that search teams had been using thermal imaging, drones, and sniffer dogs but had detected no signs of life, and that teams had received no response from the missing persons’ radio, which is “highly significant”.
Earlier
Yesterday’s explosion caused at least one death and several injuries at the power station. The building that partially collapsed was approximately 300 metres long and ten storeys high.
Speaking at the scene this morning, assistant chief fire officer Simon Furlong said:
“The remainder of the building is very unsafe which is hampering the search. This is a very difficult situation with a very unstable structure.
The safety of emergency service personnel has to remain our priority, while recognising how hard this must be for families waiting for news of loved ones overnight. Our sympathies are with them, and the family of the person who died here yesterday.
“The police will be taking over control of the site as part of ongoing investigation but we are continuing working with fire services from Bucks, Hants and West Midlands, and this work may continue for several days.”
The service also confirmed the incident is not believed to be related to terrorism.
Five men are being treated at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Four of them are in stable and non-life threatening conditions, while one man is in a serious but not life-threatening condition.
More than 40 people were treated at the scene for dust inhalation, and have since been discharged.
Additional reporting Cianan Brennan
Originally published 8.14am
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