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Death toll rises to 7 after Jersey apartment fire

Jersey Fire
Jersey Fire
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Authorities on the English Channel Island of Jersey have raised the death toll from five to seven after an apartment building exploded and caught fire on Saturday.

Officials raised the death toll on Tuesday, adding that two people were still missing, the Associated Press reported.

Police chief Robin Smith told the news outlet that a three-story apartment block building in St. Helier was destroyed by what may have been a gas explosion, but the exact cause has not been determined.

The identities of those killed have not been released, Smith told the news outlet.

According to the Associated Press, officials said residents reported smelling gas in the area and contacted the fire service the night before the deadly explosion.

Island Energy chief officer Jo Cox told the news outlet that the affected apartments weren't hooked up to the gas network, so the news outlet reported the investigation into what happened is still underway.