Rescuers have stepped up the desperate search for a woman who feared she was trapped under a pile of rubble after a mansion was destroyed by an explosion.
The explosion occurred on the second floor of the property on Waikanda Crescent, in Whalan, in Sydney’s west, with Fire and Rescue (FRNSW) called just before 1pm on Saturday.
Firefighters heard “cranes” and noises coming from under the rubble, which they believe is a sign that the woman is still alive.
On Sunday, police announced that the search area is now a crime scene and officers have closed the street.
Rescuers have stepped up the desperate search for a woman who feared being trapped under a pile of rubble after a mansion was destroyed by an explosion (pictured)
Since then, police presence in the area has increased, as dozens of officers arrived on the scene around 7:30 am.
Fire and Rescue NSW Chief Inspector Ross Genders said rescuers have so far failed to locate the woman believed to have been on the second floor of the townhouse when the blast struck.
“We have a general area where we look for them and that’s based on the design of the building,” Superintendent Genders told the Daily telegram.
“So we know it’s the back of the building where most of the rubble has collapsed.”
Early indications suggest the explosion may have been the result of a gas leak, but the actual cause of the explosion has yet to be officially determined.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Police for further comment.
Paramedics treated five people after sustaining injuries from the building collapse.
Emergency services braved heavy rain and cold and worked overnight in an attempt to find the woman trapped under the rubble.
Search and rescue efforts were hampered late Saturday afternoon due to bad weather.
The building was reduced to a pile of rubble and the sound of the explosion could be heard several kilometers away.
Police (pictured at the scene on Saturday) announced that the search area is now a crime scene and that officers have closed the street
The explosion hit the second floor of the mansion, causing the house to collapse (photo)
On Saturday, emergency services responded to a call about an explosion that had ‘blown out’ a level of the unit.
Windows were smashed during the explosion and witnesses could be heard screaming.
A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that one person was missing and five residents had been evacuated from the building.
Firefighters said they heard “ticking and noises” under the rubble, indicating that there is still life “beneath the rubble.”
Two women were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building: a woman in her 60s and another woman in her 70s who uses a wheelchair.
Another 12 people from surrounding homes were evacuated.
Police have closed access to the street and an increased police presence has been observed in the area since 7.30am on Sunday (photo of police officers on site on Saturday)
Emergency services (pictured) braved heavy rain and cold and worked overnight in a bid to find the woman trapped under the rubble
Ambulance NSW told Daily Mail Australia five people were taken to hospital after the blast – three to Mount Druitt Hospital and another three to the Hawkesbury District District Health Service. Their current circumstances are unknown.
Another person was treated at the scene.
Fire, ambulance, HAZMAT, police, gas and energy personnel were only able to enter the building on Saturday afternoon after the gas supply to the area was shut off.
FRNSW teams trained in urban search and rescue operations using concrete cutters to clear the rubble have recovered a small dog from units being cared for on site.
The house suffered ‘major damage’, which also affected a neighboring home, police said Sydney Morning Herald.
Fire brigade (photo), ambulances, HAZMAT, police, gas and energy personnel were only able to enter the building on Saturday afternoon after the gas in the area was turned off
Fire and Rescue NSW urged the public to stay away from the building.
“The gas supply has been shut off at the scene of an explosion… allowing Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) teams to enter and search the area,” they said.
“There is currently no fire, but the scene remains volatile and unstable.”
Whalan resident Kathleen Morris said the sound of the explosion was tremendous.
‘I heard a big bang and the whole house shook. “Everyone came out of the house wondering what happened,” she said.
A resident told the Courier mail that the explosion “rocked my house four blocks away.”
Residents said the explosion was ‘huge’, while others living several kilometers into the suburbs also felt the quake (pictured the rubble of the collapsed townhouse in Whalan).
One person on social media said they heard the blast from their yard in Lethbridge Park, 2.5 km away, while another said they heard the blast 9.4 km away in St Clair.
Terry Fisher, who was working around the corner at the time, told the publication that he ran to the unit block when he heard a loud bang.
“I was working around the corner and heard a very loud explosion,” he said. “The house I was in, two blocks away, was shaking.”
“It was definitely a shock to see half the house blown apart. I knew something big had happened as I had never felt such a big explosion before.”
More to come.