A young woman has been rushed to hospital after an underground explosion ripped open a footpath in the heart of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
Emergency services were called Cavill Avenue about 5.18pm on Sunday following reports of a ‘pressure blast’.
A woman aged in her 20s fell into the gaping hole left by the blast.
She suffered minor leg injuries and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition
Queensland Police made a emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act and locked down several streets in the busy tourist precinct.
‘Members of the public are advised to avoid the area and those within the exclusion zone are asked to remain indoors until further notice,’ a statement read.
The exclusion zone included Cavill Avenue, Elkhorn Ave, The Esplanade and Surfers Paradise Boulevard.
Emergency service cordoned off the area after
Police have locked down an exclusion zone just larger than two blocks in Surfers Paradise after a ‘blast’ left a hole in the footpath
No other injuries have been reported.
Crowds were seen gathered around the scene, watching emergency services investigate from the opposite side of the road.
Firefighters could be seen taping off the area and escorting the public from nearby buildings.
Queensland Police have since revoked the PSPA declaration
However, pedestrian access to Cavill Avenue remains restricted
‘Police are still working to establish the cause of the blast and remain on scene,’ a police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia
One witness told the Gold Coast Bulletin they had heard ‘three big bangs’.
Emergency services remained at the scene on Sunday night
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