Didcot Power Station collapse: Rescuing trapped victims could take MONTHS, police say
IT COULD take rescuers week if not months to reach the bodies of three people trapped under the collapsed Didcot Power Station, police have said.
Giving an update on recovery work at the scene in Oxfordshire, Thames Valley Assistant Chief Constable Scott Chilton said the partially collapsed structure is still "unsafe" and that they are seeking "specialist advice" on how to progress.
He said: "It will take many weeks and, in reality, many months before we will be able to get access to those trapped.
Major incident declared at Didcott Power Station
"This is a complex process and will take some time."
The building collapsed at 4pm last Tuesday while workers were preparing it for demolition, killing worker Mike Collings and trapping three others inside the rubble.
Five people were injured and more than 47 others were treated for dust inhalation.
Emergency services and rescue workers have said it is "highly unlikely" that those trapped will be found alive.
The exact cause of the collapse is still unknown and Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive are working to identify the cause as rescue teams comb through the rubble pile, which is about 30ft high.