Store owner Adeel Khan a ‘key person of interest’ in Rozelle inferno investigation
ROZELLE convenience store owner Adeel Khan has become a key person of interest for detectives investigating the blaze which claimed the lives of Bianka O’Brien, 31, her one-year-old son Jude and neighbour Chris Noble | Fireball survivor recounts horror explosion | ‘The worst tragedy I’ve had to deal with’
ROZELLE convenience store owner Adeel Khan has become a key person of interest for Strike Force Baracchi detectives, who last night visited the intensive care unit at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital were he is being treated.
The Saturday Telegraph can reveal police have looked into Mr Khan’s financial records and why he was at the store at 4am — hours before the store usually opened.
Detectives have also obtained CCTV footage, which will help them trace Mr Khan’s movements before Thursday’s explosion at his Darling St store, which claimed the lives of Bianka O’Brien, 31, her one-year-old son Jude and neighbour Chris Noble.
The 44-year-old remained in RPA yesterday after being pulled from debris at the back of the building, where he was found crying for help. At the time he was covered by rubble and a fridge, with only his hands sticking out.
Mr Khan’s wife Naima has been by his side after he was taken to hospital with non-life- threatening injuries to his head and legs.
Local businesses said the convenience store, which the couple opened late last year, was not open 24 hours a day.
Just before 2pm yesterday, emergency workers carefully carried out the bodies of Bianka O’Brien and her one-year-old son Jude on stretchers.
The discovery of the 31-year-old and her first-born ended 34 hours of heartache for the O’Brien family.
The body of keen sportsman Chris Noble, 27, was found at 11pm on Thursday.
Although all three bodies have been removed, investigators will not confirm what caused the explosion — but police said they were still treating the fire as suspicious.
The driver of a silver sedan seen fleeing the scene on Thursday morning is being investigated by detectives from the Property Crime Squad’s Arson Unit.
Superintendent Clive Ainley said, while the fire appeared suspicious, it was not yet a homicide investigation.
“We haven’t tracked that driver down at this stage,” he said. “We are calling upon witnesses who may have information. If anyone has any information about this car you can give that information anonymously. It’s a line of inquiry we need to follow.”
Supt Ainley said CCTV from nearby shops would be vital to investigators and all fires were treated as suspicious unless proven otherwise.
Property Crime Squad boss Detective Superintendent Murray Chapman could not confirm if accelerants, gas or a bomb caused the explosion and fatal fire.
“We are treating the fire as suspicious however, given the investigation is still in its infancy, I cannot go into detail on our lines of inquiry,” Supt Chapman said.
Fire and Rescue Superintendent Tom Cooper said more than 50 firefighters had been engaged in a “delicate, brick-by-brick” operation to find Mrs O’Brien and Jude.
He would not say if gas or some type of accelerant was used in the blaze.
“All we know is there has been some sort of significant explosion and it was a severe explosion due to the damage to the shops across the road and adjacent to the building,” Supt Cooper said.
However former fire investigator Ross Brogan said the massive blast, which shattered windows up to 100m away, had parallels with other explosions where petrol had been used as an accelerant.
“People do not know what power vaporised petrol can have,” he said, adding it would need only a flick of a light switch to cause flammable liquid to explode.
Forensic scientist James Munday said Thursday’s fire was too destructive to have been caused by a bomb: “In general terms, if you get a large explosion followed by a large fire the most common explanation is a vapour explosion, which often indicates the presence of flammable liquid.’’
Supt Cooper said the Urban Search and Rescue Unit used information from survivors and images of the building before the blast from Google Maps during the recovery operation.
The Buiness: Darling St store was run by a ‘kind pair’
By Jennifer Sexton
NEIGHBOURS and local businesses around the site of the Rozelle Convenience Store blast have described the couple who owned the shop as “kind, helpful and welcoming”.
Adeel Kahn, 44, and his wife Naima Adeel, also 44, had run the non-branded Rozelle convenience store since late last year. Police said yesterday they were yet to speak with Mr Khan because of his injuries.
It was a small shop with an ATM, selling basics like milk and bread and opening at about 6am daily.
Neighbours and nearby retailers were largely positive about the couple and how they ran their business when asked by The Saturday Telegraph.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission records show Mr Kahn and his wife, who were both born in Pakistan, registered the $1 company Intellimodules in October 2012. They own and live in a townhouse in Greenacre, purchased for $352,000 in January 2007.
The Darling St building destroyed in the fire was owned by Hariklia Mystakas. Ms Mystakas purchased the building at 627-629 Darling St in 1983 for $210,000.
She also owns a residential property behind this building on Nelson St, purchased for $150,000 on the same day. A third property in Henley, near Gladesville, was purchased in 1984 for $107,500 by Ms Mystakas.
Insurance companies Suncorp and NRMA last night confirmed they had received claims in relation to the fire. NRMA said no claim had been received relating to the building where the fire started but claims on three insurance policies — for residential contents, a car and a business — had all been lodged for neighbouring properties.
The other business in the building was Fonelife, owned by James Keremelevski, the brother of Bianka O’Brien, 31, who, along with her baby Jude, was killed in the fire.
Mr Keremelevski was in business with Ms O’Brien at a Miranda hairdressing salon.
The Victims: Tears for a smiling mum who will be remembered for her joy in life
By Taylor Auerbach
SHE was always smiling, a happy young mother who had her life and that of her baby boy ahead of her.
But on Thursday morning, as she slept with her one-year-old bub Jude at her Rozelle home, Bianka O’Brien’s world was ripped away.
Yesterday, around 1pm, the worst fears of her husband John, her family and friends were realised when rescuers pulled two bodies — one adult, one child — from the smoking rubble that used to be a convenience store.
Her Ramsgate salon, Urban Hair Culture, which she owned with brother James for a decade, shut its doors.
Jane Yoo, who used to serve Bianka chicken burgers at the local Rozelle takeaway, swallowed hard as she remembered the vibrant mum who used to carry her baby in a harness around her chest.
“She was a very nice lady,” she said.
Down the road, Rozelle markets manager Jeanne Albrecht painted a sign announcing the weekend stalls would be closed due to the tragedy.
It’s the first time the markets have closed for anything other than a storm in more than 20 years.
“It has rocked Sydney, let alone Rozelle. Even before I knew it was James’ sister I was shocked in stunned disbelief,” Ms Albrecht said.
She said she would remember Bianka as the always-smiling mother who drank coffee every Saturday morning at Piccolo’s Cafe.
The local discount store owner said she often shopped for party supplies with young Jude: “She was a very, very happy person.
“My wife always used to tease her baby to play.”
Yesterday afternoon, as Bianka and Jude’s tragic fate became apparent, her close friend Sherry Lagos took to Facebook to share her grief.
“Such a horrible day,” she wrote.
“Bianka my friend, your beautiful face and presence will be so greatly missed and never forgotten.
“You and your amazing little guy Jude are together and are so loved.”
Slight solace will be taken by many who knew the family that baby Jude was never separated from his mummy, even in death.
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