‘Tough job’: Road remains closed and residents left stranded overnight after building partially collapsed at construction site

Residents were left stranded overnight after a 10-storey building partially collapsed, forcing more than 50 people to evacuate.

Residents were left stranded overnight after more than 50 people were forced to evacuate following the partial collapse of a 10-storey building in Sydney’s inner west, with a major road still closed.

The mass evacutation was sparked by a building within a construction site on Railway Pde in Burwood collapsing onto an excavator at about 3pm on Wednesday.

It is understood the multistorey building, which was in the process of being demolished and was unoccupied, became unstable after some of the scaffolding dislodged and partially collapsed.

A building has collapsed during its demolition, with an excavator operator required to keep the building stable.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews remain on site as of Thursday morning after work was done overnight to remove scaffolding that was at risk of collapse and stabilise scaffolding on the western wall.

Crews also removed part of the concrete flooring that had collapsed into the scaffolding, however FRNSW Acting Superintendent Mathew Sigmund said progress was brought to a halt due to a hydraulic issue.

“Slight pause this morning due to one of the machines that was operating from a hydraulic issue that is being rectified as we speak, and hopefully work will be under way again shortly,” Mr Sigmund said.

He said work would continue for “a number of hours” on Thursday morning.

“We do anticipate at some stage this morning that the occupants that had been evacuated from the building across the road will be allowed to re-enter, and also that the roadway will be reopened,” he said.

“Work will continue for a number of hours from this point in time to remove the remainder of the scaffolding that is still at risk, as well as the concrete flooring that is attached to that scaffolding.”

A nearby resident told 9 NEWS they’d heard a “series of … crashes”.

“I don’t know what it really was, but then there was a lot of screaming,” the resident told 9 NEWS.

“I’m only on the first floor, but all the windows were closed and everything, but you could still hear it.”

Emergency crews are on the scene.

About 50 workers and residents in adjacent buildings were forced to evacuate as the remainder of the building is supported by the excavator and scaffolding.

Those who were evacuated were advised to seek alternative accommodation for the night while crews worked to examine the building.

An excavator operator was on the scene at the time of the collapse.

The worker remained inside the heavy machinery on Wednesday to help stabilise the structure and stop it from buckling.

FRNSW Superintendent Josh Turner on Wednesday said the operator was inside the excavator as a “precaution” in the event the building began to move again.

“He can make his own way out by his owns means and is not trapped by any level of confinement,” he said.

While the operator remained inside the heavy machinery, he was in an enclosed cabin and not at risk of injury.

Specialist crews were on the scene, including heavy rescue and engineers who are assessing the situation.

“It’s a very tough job,” Superintendent Turner said.

“The engineers will monitor it as it progresses.”

Superintendent Turner also said strong winds had contributed to the partial collapse.

“We’ve had part of the building, which has been partly demolished, come down and bring some of the scaffolding with it,” he said on Wednesday.

Originally published as ‘Tough job’: Road remains closed and residents left stranded overnight after building partially collapsed at construction site