Didcot recovery work 'ongoing 7 days a week'
Just over eight weeks since two Rotherham workers were trapped in the collapse of Didcot power station, those responding to it insist work to find them is continuing.
Just over eight weeks since two Rotherham workers were trapped in the collapse of Didcot power station, those responding to it insist work to find them is continuing.
The disused building collapsed in February, trapping three men and killing one other.
The families of Ken Cresswell and John Shaw previously travelled down to the site in Oxfordshire calling for more action to bring their loved ones home alive - saying the recovery operation wasn't quick enough.
Thames Valley Police have today released a statement on behalf of the various agencies involved in the recovery work.
They say the 'absolute priority' remains to find the missing men so they can be returned to their families
The statement also says the agencies are working round the clock to remove large pieces of debris - with around 20,000 tonnes of material cleared so far.
You can read the full statement here:
"On the 23 February 2016 the boiler house at Didcot A power station partially collapsed and a major incident was declared. The tragic incident resulted in the death of one man and three men remain missing.
The absolute priority of the multi-agency response to this incident remains the recovery of the missing men so they can be returned to their families.
Alongside the recovery, Thames Valley Police (TVP) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are undertaking a joint investigation into the cause of the incident under the Work Related Deaths Protocol.
The site owners RWE have overall responsibility for the safety of people, buildings and structures on their site. Following agreement with TVP and HSE on 19 March, RWE started the clearance process on a section of the debris pile that has been designated as safe and which is furthest away from the remaining structure.
TVP and HSE continue to closely monitor progress on the removal of the collapsed debris and today images are being released that illustrate the scale of the operation.
A large volume of material has been removed from the debris pile as part of the recovery phase. The images show around 20,000 tonnes of material on the ground. Clearance of the debris pile is progressing and up to 40 metres of the overall pile has been cleared so far.
These debris removal works are ongoing seven days a week, from dawn to dusk. Whilst to date everything is progressing to plan, due to the complex nature of the collapse the recovery phase will still take some time.
Specialists from TVP, Fire and Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and the South Central Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) remain on hand in order to allow the safe recovery of the missing men.
HSE and TVP are continuing to progress the investigation, interviewing witnesses and gathering intelligence and evidence. This investigation is running alongside the recovery phase.
Of the debris and steel work removed, approximately 250 pieces of differing sizes and weights have been removed for evidence processing.
A number of specialists from a range of disciplines including forensic archaeologists, metallurgists and structural engineers are supporting this work, with drones and other camera equipment being used to capture information about the debris pile and the standing structure which remains in an unsafe condition.
Our thoughts remain with the families affected by this tragic incident and specialist officers from TVP continue to support the families, providing them with regular updates on the progress of the recovery effort."