Hunt continues for three missing workers as Didcot Power Station building collapse claims one life and leaves five others in hospital

One demolition worker was killed when the 10-storey building caved in and five others injured.

It was feared this morning that the rest of the structure could collapse.

• See our photo gallery of the dramatic collapse

Oxfordshire's assistant chief fire officer Simon Furlong said at a briefing this morning: "The team is methodically working through the structure in this rescue operation.

"The structure is very unstable and there is a concern about the integrity of the remainder of the building."

Referring to the three missing workers Mr Furlong added: "We have seen from previous incidents globally and nationally that people have stayed alive for a considerable length of time, so we are continuing to search."

Sniffer dogs and drones are being used this morning to search the rubble for signs of life.

Crews from across Oxfordshire @scas @SCAS_HART @tvp and from across the country have been searching all night at #Didcot -thoughts with all

— Bicester Fire Stn (@firebicester) February 24, 2016

7am update

Emergency services staff have been searching throughout the night and global charity Rapid Relief Team has sent volunteers to the power station to support the rescue effort.

A spokesman said: "RRT have put a plan in place to support the dedicated personnel from our search and rescue teams for the next 10 days.  

"Volunteers have been drafted in from Didcot, Reading and surrounding areas."

One floral tribute left at the scene reads: "Rest in peace. To a hardworking soul. From a Didcot resident. Thoughts of those injured and those missing."

Mr Furlong added the search would continue throughout the day.

He said: "Search dogs have been searching area by area and we have also been deploying drones with thermal imaging cameras over the site for any signs of heat.

"The remainder of the building is very unsafe which is hampering 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.

"An expert from Cheshire with similar experience is due on site today to advise on the search.

"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.”

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey said this morning that emergency services staff were doing an outstanding job.

He added: "It is a terrible event to have happened and we pray the three men are okay and can be found as soon as possible.

"People have reacted absolutely appropriately."

Ed Byard took this picture this morning and tweeted: At #Didcot. A sad sight but sadder still the missing have not been found

Mr Vaizey said he understood that the families of the man who died, and the families of the missing men, were not local and were from the north of England.

Town mayor Des Healy, who worked at the power station from 1972 until he retired in 1999, said people in Didcot were still in shock following the tragedy.

He said: "The debris is about 30ft high so the caution of the emergency crews is understandable - they do not want to put rescuers at risk.

"It is paramount to remember that there has been one fatality and three families who just do not know, and we should keep them in our prayers at the moment."

The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and will conduct an investigation, which will be supported by Thames Valley Police.

There is currently a 100m cordon in place, however there are no public road closures at this time.

The fire service is in charge of the rescue operation and there are two air ambulances, four specialist Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles and six ambulances at the scene.

The emergency response 

Emergency services were scrambled to the scene at 4.05pm after a loud bang was heard and half the boiler house collapsed. A large plume of dust enveloped the surrounding area prompting 50 people needing to seek treament for breathing difficulties.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) declared a major incident and sent two air ambulances, six land ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a hazardous area response team.

Firefighters arriving at the scene called in specialist national rescue teams from Buckinghamshire and Hampshire,

Oxfordshire chief fire officer Dave Etheridge said: “This was a very severe incident and we will be working with colleagues throughout the night.

“At the moment we do not know what the cause was but it does not appear to be an explosion.

• Read how the drama unfolded as it happened

“One fatality has been confirmed, three people are unaccounted for and five have been taken to hospital. We would like to express our absolute sympathy and deep thoughts to all the families involved.

“The dust cloud from the collapse is not a risk to human life and the collapsed building poses no further danger.”

A spokesman for NHS England said the injured were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, with extra support drafted in from NHS England South to assist SCAS.

A hospitals trust spokesman said four male construction workers taken to the JR were in a stable but non life-threatening condition. A fifth was in a serious condition. It is not known the extent of their injuries.

Although the cause of the building’s collapse was not known last night, a demolition had been due to take place in nine days’ time.

According to the fire service, construction workers had been on site stripping the building to make it ready.

Mr Etheridge said the incident was a “workplace accident” and an investigation had been launched by the Health and Safety Executive and Thames Valley Police.

The fire chief added: “The investigation will centre around why the collapse took place 10 days early.”

Family support

Coleman & Co, the company tasked with the demolition by RWE and npower, wrote on Twitter: “We are aware of an incident at Didcot A Power Station. We are working with all stakeholders to establish facts.”

The company has also tweeted that any concerned relatives of employees should contact human resources group manager Joanne Barton on 0121 325 2424.

Mark Coleman, the company’s managing director, last week tweeted to say workers at the site had been preparing for the job.

The tweet appeared to be deleted late yesterday.

An RWE spokeswoman said its team was continuing to support Coleman & Co staff and the emergency services but did not have anything further to add at this stage.

Following the collapse, three large trucks were reportedly sent to the site to clear fallen debris.

Nearby residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed.

Witness David Cooke, whose company, Thames Cryogenics, has a building overlooking the power station, said: "Our building shook and, as we looked out of the window, the end of the main turbine hall collapsed in a huge pile of dust.

"It totally obscured the towers and must have drifted across the roads and main rail line. What's left looks a tangled mess.

"The dust was hanging over the area for five to 10 minutes. "

Five urban rescue units and two dogs were brought from Hampshire Fire Service to assist in the search and an urban search and rescue service was called in from Buckinghamshire.

It was confirmed the collapse would have no impact on power generation or nearby railway lines, but a spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said it was monitoring the situation closely.

The Government’s Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said: “Our thoughts with those who have been affected by the incident.”