One Main Sydney Street Rocked in ExplosionA huge explosion Tuesday rocked one main street in the south of Sydney, destroying a Chinese restaurant and causing massive damage to a block of shops and units either side.A Sydney fire brigade spokesman said homes across the road from the Bay Street buildings were also damaged in the blast, which happened about 0200 a.m. (local time) and was heard more than 3 kilometers away. Police said the cause of the blast was not yet known and investigations would be delayed until the destroyed building was stabilized. The fire sparked by the explosion had been contained, but a structural engineer and fire investigators were at the scene to work out how to stabilize the building, which they feared may collapse. Residents were evacuated safely, including a woman who slept through the explosion in a unit next to the restaurant. A police spokeswoman said two officers on the scene were treated for minor cuts and scratches when they broke a window to gain access to the building to ensure there was nobody inside. Investigators have yet to enter the building, which emergency services have not declared safe. The explosion is being treated as suspicious, the spokeswoman said. |
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