After a gruelling search spanning over two days and nights, the body of Sydney woman Mhey Yumol Jasmin was found buried under the rubble of the flattened Whalan townhouses.
Jasmin, a trainee nurse in her 30s, was in the kitchen on Saturday when an explosion tore through the government-owned homes, turning the tight-knit community into a bomb site.
Mhey Yumol Jasmin was visiting her mother when the building exploded.
Rescue teams had hoped to find the woman alive after initially detecting what sounded like taps at the Waikanda Crescent crime scene, but, just after 2am on Monday, rescue crews found the body.
NSW Police formally identified Mhey Yumol Jasmin as the victim on Monday afternoon, correcting earlier reports that Jasmin was her first name.
In a statement, her family thanked emergency services for their efforts during the search.
“We especially want to thank all the police officers, NSW Fire and Rescue personnel and NSW Ambulance paramedics,” they said. “The family is so appreciative of their support, kindness and assistance.
Concrete slabs were moved to the street by Monday morning.Credit: Kate Geraghty
“We’d also like to thank the public for their prayers and for respecting our privacy at this tragic time.”
The discovery was made after heavy machinery was brought in to lift heavy slabs of concrete from the explosion site.
“We will go through a very comprehensive and significant examination of the scene with our partners from Fire and Rescue, we’ll also have independent gas experts … to make sure we can get the best information available as to how this occurred,” Detective Superintendent Darren Newman said on Monday.
The deputy state coroner attended the scene on Sunday and has received a briefing from police.
“As you can imagine, the mum’s devastated. We’ve been working closely with her ever since this was reported,” Newman said.
“Obviously, we had to deliver a death message this morning.”
Five people were injured in the blast and were discharged from hospital by Sunday morning.
The sound from the explosion was so loud and the force so powerful, locals in suburbs such as Penrith, Emerton and Tregear – some more than 10 kilometres away – reported their windows rattling from the blast.
Fire and Rescue NSW is yet to confirm the cause of the explosion. However, locals described a gas-like smell coming from the building before the blast.
One resident said the smell was so bad she had stopped taking her children to school past the laneway behind the homes.
Neighbour Annie Toia.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The building is owned by the NSW government and is dedicated to seniors.
A gas leak was reported in November 2023, which was traced to the gas meter. A contractor replaced the gas meter regulator at the time.
NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson said she was deeply concerned by the reports.
“I have instructed Homes NSW to urgently investigate this matter,” she said. “The department are currently checking maintenance logs for any history of this.”
The previous reports of a gas smell by residents and recent maintenance requests will form part of the investigation. In April this year, part of a gas meter was found to have split, and was replaced, with testing revealing no further leaks.
Homes NSW is organising future housing options for tenants displaced by the explosion, who have since been moved to temporary housing. They will have the option to return to the Waikanda Crescent units once they have been rebuilt, Jackson said.
Neighbour Annie Toia said she hoped lessons were learnt from the tragedy.
“We watched this place be built and we just watched it blow up,” she said. “I hope this never happens again.”
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clarification
NSW Police have confirmed Mhey Yumol Jasmin was the victim of the blast, correcting earlier reports that Jasmin was her first name.