At least three people have died following an explosion and fire at a block of flats in Jersey, Chief Minister Kristina Moore has said.
Several other people were reported missing after the "devastating" explosion flattened a three-storey apartment block.
A gas leak was suspected as the cause of the blast at around 4am this morning in the Channel island's port capital St Helier.
Security camera footage showed a fireball engulfing the bayside building followed by thick smoke.
Nearby resident Anthony Abbott said his flat's windows were smashed inward by the blast wave, "and there was fire everywhere outside".
"It was very, very distressing", he told the BBC. "I'm a little bit shocked, but we are lucky we're OK."
Jersey's gas supplier, Island Energy, said it was working with the fire service to understand what happened.
The fire was put out but emergency services were conducting "significant work" at the scene, and the rescue operation could take days, police said.
Fire crews mobilised after residents reported smelling gas, Jersey police chief Robin Smith told reporters.
"We have a three-storey building that has completely collapsed - described from a demolition point of view as a pancake that has dropped almost straight down," he said.
"There is also damage to a nearby building as well, another block of flats that the fire service needs to make safe. It is a pretty devastating scene, I regret to say."
Earlier, Mr Smith said "around a dozen" people were missing, "but you will appreciate also that number could fluctuate".
"Specialist resources" have been mobilised to find anyone trapped in the rubble, according to the police, helped by an urban search-and-rescue team from southern England.
Earlier, Ms Moore expressed condolences and said residents displaced by the blast were being found somewhere to stay.
"This is going to take some days and we will keep everyone updated and fully informed, and we will do our very best to ensure everybody is properly looked after," she said.
Additional reporting PA
