Surry Hills fire: Two boys, 13, charged over inferno that destroyed Sydney seven-storey building
Surry Hills fire: Two boys, 13, charged with inferno that destroyed a seven-storey building in Sydney
Two 13-year-old boys have been charged over the fire that destroyed a seven-storey building in Sydney.
The 111-year-old former hat factory on Randle Street, Surry Hills, was razed to the ground by the fire on May 25.
Two adjacent buildings were also so badly damaged that they had to be demolished.
Two 13-year-old boys have been charged over the fire that destroyed a seven-storey building in Sydney
In chaotic scenes, hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby homes and offices as smoke billowed over the city and more than a hundred firefighters battled the blaze.
Now two 13-year-old boys have been charged with the fire.
They are charged with destroying company property using fire etc. in excess of $5000, and entering restricted areas not prescribed without a lawful excuse.
One of the boys was also charged with two counts of shoplifting, allegedly taking place in a supermarket on Elizabeth Street on the day of the fire.
The boys will appear before the children’s court on October 4.
The building burst into flames around 4 p.m. and by 6 p.m. had collapsed almost completely, with pieces of debris falling from the roof and walls onto the street below, as thousands of shaken commuters and workers looked on.
The fire caused a ‘tornado of smoke’ and the heat could be felt up to a stone’s throw away.
The 111-year-old former hat factory on Randle Street, Surry Hills was razed to the ground by the fire on May 25