AUSTRALIA - Natural gas explosion, one missing, five injured, Whalan, NSW, 1 June 2024

[iamshadow21]

Woman feared trapped underneath rubble after explosion destroys home in Sydney's west

A delicate search and rescue operation is under way in Western Sydney for a woman feared trapped beneath rubble after an explosion destroyed a townhouse in a complex on Saturday afternoon.

www.abc.net.au

Very close to me, but I was out of town today and didn't hear it. Brother in law who lives incredibly close to ground zero was also out of the suburb when it happened, he's fine, but wasn't sure with road closures when and how he was going to be able to get home.

It's winter. People have their heaters on, and if it's not electric or combustion, it's natural gas. I have one on right next to me. It's terrifying to realise that that heater could flatten your home.

 

[iamshadow21]

Rescuers listening for sounds from rubble amid search for missing person

A townhouse in Whalan burst into flames in an explosion so loud it was heard in neighbouring suburbs, leaving at least six people injured and one unaccounted for.

www.smh.com.au

Gas has been turned off finally.

Puppy also rescued.

Still trying to find missing resident.

 

[iamshadow21]

Whalan explosion update: Trainee nurse killed in Sydney home explosion identified

They're hearing tapping sounds that they think means the missing individual is alive, and proceeding accordingly.

 

[Andieinsyd]

Whalan explosion update: Trainee nurse killed in Sydney home explosion identified

They're hearing tapping sounds that they think means the missing individual is alive, and proceeding accordingly.

Thanks for posting, watching and hoping they can get to them quickly.

 

[iamshadow21]

I should also say that after weeks of dry, it's been steadily raining on and off all day in Western Sydney. Which is not going to be making anything any easier or safer for rescuers and volunteers.

 

[iamshadow21]

Thanks for posting, watching and hoping they can get to them quickly.

Yeah, this is pretty much my backyard. Tenish minutes drive from where I'm lying right now on my sofa. If I'd have been home, I have no doubt I'd have heard and felt it. It sounds like it was heard in Penrith, which is twice as far. But I was up the mountains in Leura having lunch with friends an hour away.

TBH, if I had heard and felt it, I probably would have thought it was more blasting for the Western Sydney Airport rail line tunnel, just louder than usual. It's been going on for over a year. We feel blasts and vibration all day, every day.

MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

Paywalled article on the Herald Sun

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/unit-block-destroyed-in-massive-explosion-at-whalan/news-story/f9d78a549a5c137894d7dd13320a055b

 

[iamshadow21]

Daily Mail has a picture of the dog that was rescued, being held by a rescue worker, because of course they do.

Fears for residents after massive explosion destroys house

A massive house explosion has rocked the western Sydney suburb of Whalan, with fears residents are trapped inside.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Looks like they took it from Fire and Rescue's official site.

Dog rescued as firefighters begin searching ruins of explosion and townhouse collapse - Whalan

The gas supply has been cut at the scene of an explosion and townhouse collapse at Whalan in Sydney’s west, allowing Fire and Rescue NSW...

www.fire.nsw.gov.au

 

[iamshadow21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1796823610834968689

As you can see, it's full dark, pouring with rain, and they're having to move the rubble piece by tiny piece by hand, passing it down one to another.

 

[iamshadow21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1796779818681549041

(Emily is a reporter for the Sunday Telegraph, not just a random, despite the lack of blue tick.)

 

[iamshadow21]

Fire and Rescue has some pretty epic footage and stills taken from their drone that they obviously sent up some time before sunset. It's like looking at an earthquake site, incredibly localised to one dwelling. It's just a pile of debris. All my thoughts going to them and the trapped individual right now.

Firefighters search rubble of Whalan collapse as one person reported missing - VIDEO - Whalan

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have begun clearing rubble at the scene of an explosion and building collapse today at Whalan, in Sydney’s west...

www.fire.nsw.gov.au

 

[Andieinsyd]

Fire and Rescue has some pretty epic footage and stills taken from their drone that they obviously sent up some time before sunset. It's like looking at an earthquake site, incredibly localised to one dwelling. It's just a pile of debris. All my thoughts going to them and the trapped individual right now.

Firefighters search rubble of Whalan collapse as one person reported missing - VIDEO - Whalan

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have begun clearing rubble at the scene of an explosion and building collapse today at Whalan, in Sydney’s west...

www.fire.nsw.gov.au

Really get the scale of it from those photos
It’s absolutely bucketing down where I am in the North of Sydney, am keeping fingers crossed.

 

[Andieinsyd]

Woman feared trapped underneath rubble after explosion destroys home in Sydney's west

A delicate search and rescue operation is under way in Western Sydney for a woman feared trapped beneath rubble after an explosion destroyed a townhouse in a complex on Saturday afternoon.

www.abc.net.au

Very close to me, but I was out of town today and didn't hear it. Brother in law who lives incredibly close to ground zero was also out of the suburb when it happened, he's fine, but wasn't sure with road closures when and how he was going to be able to get home.

It's winter. People have their heaters on, and if it's not electric or combustion, it's natural gas. I have one on right next to me. It's terrifying to realise that that heater could flatten your home.

Yes me too (gas heater). I think gas explosion was the likely cause of the apartment fire in Meadowbank a while ago as well. A man lost his life in that incident

 

[iamshadow21]

Just found out that this was literally on my BIL's street. Super close. Once we knew that, we just picked out his roof on the edge of the drone shots. That's how close. Scary.

 

[iamshadow21]

(Drone footage is from Fire and Rescue, host channel is the official Illawarra Mercury Dailymotion channel.)

 

[iamshadow21]

Still searching.

'Human chain' of rescuers continue search for woman feared missing in Sydney home explosion

Police believe a woman feared missing under the rubble of a house after an explosion in Sydney could still be alive.

www.abc.net.au

 

[LadyL]

Still searching.

'Human chain' of rescuers continue search for woman feared missing in Sydney home explosion

Police believe a woman feared missing under the rubble of a house after an explosion in Sydney could still be alive.

www.abc.net.au

how long have they been searching for the person?

 

[iamshadow21]

how long have they been searching for the person?

Explosion was over 24 hours ago, now.

 

[iamshadow21]

Fire and Rescue update.

No sign of the missing individual yet. They're not giving up hope, mentioning Stuart Diver.

Search operation ongoing at scene of townhouse collapse – VIDEO - Whalan

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), Police and Ambulance rescue teams are continuing pain-staking efforts to clear debris from the scene of yesterday’s explosion and townhouse...

www.fire.nsw.gov.au

More drone pictures of the site and rescue efforts.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Rescue crews work overnight to free woman trapped after gas explosion

www.9news.com.au

Rescue crews have spent the night searching for a woman who is feared to be trapped beneath a partially collapsed townhouse after an explosion in Sydney's west.

"There's been a range of complications throughout the operation, we had a gas leak early on which took a significant amount of time to shut down," he told reporters today.

"There was also a fire underneath the rubble in the collapsed area and from time to time that's been flaring up, they've been unable to reach the fire directly due to the debris."

Fewtrell said a detection dog brought in found no indication of activity amongst the debris, but he believed the timeframe they were operating in "was within the window of survivability".