TWO people are feared dead after a huge explosion tore through a Wentworthville street, causing a building to collapse and shattering glass for hundreds of metres around the neighbourhood.
Thermal imaging equipment has been brought in to aid fire and rescue personnel as they search through the rubble for two people who are missing believed dead under what remains of the building.
A further two men were taken to Westmead hospital, while two police officers have been treated for smoke inhalation.
NSW police said seven officers suffered smoke inhalation as a result of the blaze, including detectives from Holroyd local area command who were patrolling Station Street at the time of the initial explosion.
The explosion is being treated as suspicious.
The initial call came over the state fire brigade’s two-way radio system at 4.20am this morning: “We’ve got a code red, red, red,” a panicked male voice said.
A series of small explosions followed by “an almighty bang” had torn through a shop – described as an Iranian supermarket by locals – in Station Street, sending bricks, debris and shop contents flying down the road.
It is understood all four people either killed or injured in the explosion were residents from above the shop.
A real estate office adjacent to the mixed business – believed to be the source of the explosion – was also totally destroyed.
The shop explosion occurred opposite the Wentworthville Hotel, with residents at the establishment describing warlike scenes.
“I was asleep and then heard this huge explosion and thought what was that?” Michael Potts said.
“I woke up and had glass all over my bed, it has smashed through my window.
“Then I saw this ball of flame, grabbed my laptop and got out.”
There were a number of residences above the now-destroyed structure.
Witnesses said a number of small “pops” or “cracks” were heard shortly after 4am before a massive explosion razed the shop to the ground.
“We just woke up to this almighty bang,” said Wentworthville local Colleen McGeough.
“We thought a bomb had gone off, it shook my house and then we heard the screaming.”
Ms McGeough said an elderly man was trapped by his legs under a large pile of bricks on the footpath before he was rushed from the scene in agony by paramedics.
A NSW Fire and Rescue officer has confirmed at least two people are believed to be dead inside the rubble and that emergency services are now treating the incident as a search operation
[divide]
Source: News Corp Ltd.