A townhouse in Whalan, in Sydney’s west, has burst into flames in an explosion so loud it was heard in neighbouring suburbs leaving at least six people injured and one missing as NSW Fire and Rescue NSW personnel comb through the rubble.
Fire and Rescue NSW were called to the second level of a townhouse complex on Waikanda Crescent just before 1pm, when a caller reported that an explosion had occurred in a unit, with kitchen windows smashed and people screaming.
The aftermath of the explosion in Waikanda Crescent, Whalan.Credit: Erika Dooley
The units are owned by the NSW government and are believed to be accommodation for seniors.
A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said the house had “major damage” and a neighbouring home was also affected. The apartments on either side of the one where the explosion occurred have also been evacuated.
NSW Ambulances have taken two people to Mount Druitt Hospital and are treating another four patients.
Fire and Rescue NSW staff are searching the units for the person who is unaccounted for.
Emergency services at the scene of a house explosion on Waikanda Crescent, Whalan., in Sydney’s west.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Tracey Dean, who lives one street behind Waikanda Crescent, said the explosion was huge.
“My whole house shuddered. It felt like a bomb went off the way the wind hit me,” she said.