Residents of a luxury tower block are facing the prospect of sleeping on concrete floors in a temporary shelter after their building was evacuated over fears it could collapse.
More than 200 residents of Opal Tower in Sydney Olympic Park were evacuated on Monday afternoon along with more than 3,000 from nearby buildings.
After fleeing with just their essential belongings, they have no idea if they will able to return to their homes for Christmas.
Many residents were been forced to book accommodation on their smart phones while authorities dithered for several hours.
Residents could be spending Christmas Eve sleeping on a concrete floor in a temporary shelter after they were forced to evacuate over fears the apartment building could collapse
About 100 people are still stranded in a temporary shelter at the nearby Royal Agricultural Society building as they wait for the all clear from authorities
People sat on what few chairs were available and if they were lucky, used a table to eat or play cards
Just before midnight on Christmas Eve, residents from the surrounding buildings were allowed to return to their homes.
But around 100 were still stranded in a temporary shelter at the nearby Royal Agricultural Society building as they wait for the all clear from authorities.
Many people claim they have been left in the dark, having received no information from emergency crews about when they might be able to return home.
‘We’ve been told nothing. We don’t know how long we will be stuck here, maybe until tomorrow,’ one group told the Daily Mail.
Hundreds of residents have fled for their lives after cracking sounds coming from the roof of their high rise sparked fears the building will collapse at any moment
‘We weren’t even in the tower, we live nearby and just know what’s on the news. It’s very frustrating,’ they said.
People sat on what few chairs were available and if they were lucky, used a table to eat or play cards.
One group somehow found a couch and one of them took a nap on it, but others had to sit on the hard floor.
New South Wales fire service, police, and other agencies were locked in hours of crisis talks with engineers who assessed the building.
They were still deciding whether it was safe for residents to go home, and where to put them up for the night if it was too dangerous.
Around 2.45pm residents heard loud cracking sounds coming from the 10th floor and began to rush outside.
Police then arrived and evacuated the rest of the residents. The 117m tower contains 392 units along with a childcare centre and other amenities.
Firefighter search and rescue teams and public works engineers are inside the 34-storey building assessing it after a huge crack was found in its structure
Some residents said the doors to the building were jammed and police had to break them down with heavy equipment to help residents escape.
One also claimed they could hear movement in the building during strong winds.
Firefighter search and rescue teams and public works engineers went inside the 34-storey building to assess it after a huge crack was found in its structure.
NSW Fire Acting Superintendent Greg Wright said they would ‘determine if the building is safe to inhabit or if any other remedial works are required’.
More than 3,000 people in nearby buildings were also told to leave and those coming home were not allowed back inside
Police and firefighters stand guard outside the exclusion zone they set up to keep people away
He hoped to have completed this process in several hours and know if and when residents could return to their homes.
‘We don’t know (when that will be) until the engineers assess the building and find out what caused the issue – or if there’s a major issue with the building,’ he said.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Philip Rogerson said the building, which was only completed in March and opened in August, had moved one to two millimetres.
The tower was being monitored with specialist laser monitoring equipment to detect any movement, but none had been recorded since the crack opened.
Fire crews shut off the water and gas and took the building off the power grid while police taped off a 250m radius.
Police said an emergency services operation is underway after concerns were raised for the structural integrity of the 30-storey Opal Tower (pictured) at Sydney Olympic Park
Residents were left stranded in the park nearby, not knowing how long it would be until they were able to return to their homes
Earlier, more than 50 children in a childcare centre were moved elsewhere and later released to their families.
The operator of the nearby Botania tower told its residents in an email: ‘there is a potential for the tower to collapse, a 1km radius has been evacuated’.
Police said when it was safe to do so they would, with the help of the RSPCA, begin rescuing pets that were left behind in the evacuation.
Trains running between Lidcombe and Olympic Park were cancelled as a precaution but buses are replacing them.
Opal Tower is one of several new apartment towers in Olympic Park and cost $165 million to build.
It was developed by Ecove, which also built many other new towers in the suburb along with One30 Hyde Park tower in the Sydney CBD.
Two-bedroom apartments are on sale for $934,000 and one bedrooms for $620,000.
‘We are aware of the concerns that have arisen with the Opal Building and confirm that the builder has been notified,’ Ecove said.
A resident stands on her balcony as evacuations began. She was one of about 140 who left the building under police orders
Police and fire fighters shut off the water and gas and took it off the power grid, and will use specialist equipment designed to monitor the building for any more movement using lasers
‘As a precaution the building has been temporarily evacuated whilst it is being assessed by the relevant authorities.’
The tower was designed by architecture firm Bates Smart and built by Icon Construction.
Residents mill around outside the building and ask police about when they will be able to go back inside
Police and firefighters are assessing the structural integrity of the building and taped off several blocks in a 250m radius around it