Huge explosion rocks Sydney apartment building: Two rushed to hospital

A suspected gas explosion has blown out the side of a second-floor apartment in Sydney’s inner west, injuring nine people with residents facing weeks of being locked out of their homes.

The blast at 6.30am on Friday destroyed both the inner and outer brick walls of the apartment, located in a three-storey unit block on Clarence Street in Lidcombe, 15km west of the CBD.

Firefighters, paramedics, and police rushed to the scene to find part of the building partially collapsed, with debris strewn on the street and vehicles below.

NSW Ambulance told Daily Mail Australia that two people were taken to hospital.

A man in his 40s was transported to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his hands and face.

Another man, in his 60s, was taken to Auburn Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Paramedics assessed seven people at the scene – five adults and two children – as four buildings were evacuated. 

Neighbour Pabita told Daily Mail Australia that she was in the shower when she heard the massive explosion.

‘I was just scared because there was a big, loud sound in my room – like a bomb blast.

A powerful suspected gas blast has ripped through a the apartment on Clarence Street, Lidcombe just after 6.30am, shaking residents awake and sending debris raining onto the street

The force of the explosion obliterated the inner and outer brick walls of a second-floor apartment, partially collapsing the building and damaging vehicles below

A neighbour who was in the shower during the explosion said it sounded like a bomb blast

‘It was scary, and after I got out of the shower, I checked every room, but they had already evacuated the building. We’re still not allowed to go back inside.’

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said residents ‘self-evacuated’ after the explosion, but specialist rescue crews remain on site to locate those still unaccounted for.

‘What we’ve had is an explosion in a unit on the second level of a three-storey block, which has literally blown out both the inner and outer brick walls.

‘Thankfully, the floors – which are concrete- appear to be stable, as it’s a more modern-style building.

‘We’ll have about 18 fire trucks on scene shortly, and several are already here. We’ve just evacuated the complex. There are a number of other buildings in the complex that haven’t been impacted, but we’re checking them as a precaution.

‘We don’t yet have an ‘all clear’ – which means we can’t confirm everyone is accounted for or that there are no further injuries – but that’s what we’re working towards now.’

Gas and electricity have been turned off at the scene to minimise any risk of further damage.

Fire and Rescue NSW speak to residents outside the building

Two men were rushed to hospital – one with serious burns, another suffering smoke inhalation 

Investigators are now working to determine what caused the suspected gas explosion

Residents have been barred from returning until crews give the building the all clear

A local resident talks on the phone near the building that siffered a gas explosion

Superintendent Robert Toynton said there was no drug lab in the apartment. 

He also told reporters an evacuation centre at Burella Community Centre had been set up at a local community centre.

But residents of the blown up building could be locked out for some time.  

‘I’m hopeful by lunchtime the adjoining buildings will get some sort of indication as to a time (to go back in),’ he said.

‘But the effected building does have significant damage to it so that’s a challenge.’