Close call as Hurlstone Park shopfront collapses in Sydney

Workers and locals have had a close call after an ageing shopfront crashed down on cars in Sydney’s inner west.

Emergency service crews at the scene where a wall collapsed on New Canterbury Road in Hurlstone Park. Picture: AAP

Workers and locals have had a close call after construction brought an ageing shopfront crashing down on cars in Sydney’s inner west.

Emergency services were called to the site at around midday on Monday after the Hurlstone Park building started to collapse, amid concerns people could be inside.

Excavators from the Doulos apartments building site were used to pull down the remaining building, with NSW Police urban rescue dogs used to sniff out the rubble.

NSW Fire and Rescue declared shortly before 5pm that nobody was under the pile of rubble on New Canterbury Road.

Excavators from the Doulos apartments building site were used to pull down the remaining building. Picture: AAP

The awning of the collapsed building crushed a car parked out the front, while a fallen billboard and bricks crushed another car parked in the neighbouring lot.

Workers used machinery to clear the site, with bricks and fallen masonry blocking traffic and spilling over into neighbouring properties.

NSW Fire Rescue Acting Superintendent Steve Brown said this latest collapse was concerning given how busy the road could be.

“It was lucky there was no one in the building and lucky there was no one on the footpath,” he said.

“This is a massive safety hazard,” Canterbury MP Sophie Cotsis said.

“We have a couple hundred kids who walk down here in the afternoon – Canterbury Boys and Canterbury Girls, Trinity. There’s a childcare next to the church. This area is very busy at this time.”

Safe Work NSW will investigate the collapse, which comes after a similar case in September last year when an excavator smashed through the wall of the Booty Parlour Gym in Balgowlah causing the building to collapse.

SafeWork NSW said reports indicated the collapse of the former petrol station may have been caused by drilling works nearby.

A prohibition notice has been issued by Safe Work and investigations are ongoing.

The Hurlstone Park building had been vacant for some and once formed a pair of shops.

Neighbouring buildings had been pulled down to make way for development.