Updated ,first published
Two people have been hospitalised after a building collapsed in Ultimo, with part of the roof caving in and a brick wall crashing onto parked cars at a service station next door.
NSW Fire and Rescue Acting Superintendent Peter Murray described “chaotic scenes” when the first trucks arrived at Wattle Street just before 11am on Monday, with workers at the Shell service station describing a massive “boom” as the neighbouring vacant building collapsed.
“It’s a significant roof collapse,” Murray said. “It’s a quite a proportion of the size that that total building has come down.”
Paramedics assessed seven patients on the scene, two of whom were hospitalised in a serious condition. They were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital. Four others affected by the collapse declined medical attention.
Witnesses say the two people hospitalised were standing by the corner of the station at the time of the collapse.
One man, wearing casual clothing, was seen nursing cuts to his feet, witnesses said. The other was wearing a hi-vis vest, and was just metres from where the wall came crashing down.
Dozens of police and fire rescue workers swarmed the perimeter of the building and adjacent service station, where a large exclusion zone has been established as early assessments into the collapse begin.
Emergency responders have evacuated 35 people from the building behind the collapse. All those at the site have been accounted for, and there are no reports of any trapped or missing people.
There are a handful of station workers whose cars are stuck in the exclusion zone. At least two cars are covered in fallen bricks.
Specialist urban search and rescue firefighters have been deployed to the site, while drones are also being used to understand damage to the internal structure. Workers are also monitoring for potential gas leaks or electrical issues arising from the collapse.
Abdou Mahrouk, a freelance worker, was filling up his scooter at the Shell station when the building collapsed. He recalled a “big explosion” as the wall crumbled.
“The two people outside, one person was very very injured,” Mahrouk said. “His foot was really injured.”
SafeWork inspectors have arrived at the scene, along with union officials from the CFMEU, as they began gathering facts about the collapse. The Building Commission NSW, which regulates the construction industry, is also on site.
Two of four northbound lanes on Wattle Street have been closed, and motorists have been advised to exercise caution and expect delays.
In 2020, the City of Sydney Council approved a $9.5 million proposal to redevelop the site into a five-storey student accommodation complex with 72 boarding rooms.
The plans, lodged by developer TQK Pty Ltd, included the demolition of the existing warehouse and excavation works.
The principal contractors and builder Medida has been contacted for comment, and is investigating further.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
David Barwell is an urban affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning HeraldConnect via email.
