Cracks prompt fears of collapse

TERRIFIED residents were trapped inside a highrise Sydney apartment block when fears were raised it might collapse on Christmas Eve.

Scores of people who were forced to spend Monday night in a makeshift emergency camp returned yesterday to the newly constructed 38-storey building.

But a third of residents from 150 apartments at Opal Towers who endured a sleepless night will have to spend at least 48 hours elsewhere after their homes were declared unsafe.

People heard large cracking noises on Monday afternoon as the Olympic Park structure shifted up to 2mm.

That jammed the front doors of three units, forcing the people inside to panic and call triple-zero, NSW Fire & Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said.

“Firefighters and police actually got in and got those people out,” he said.

Emergency crews then knocked on every door and evacuated about 300 people, as well as residents from two nearby buildings located inside an exclusion zone.

Engineers brought in to examine a large crack on level 10 remained on scene but laser monitors detected no further movement from the building.

Mr Dewberry said it was too soon to know what caused the damage.

He said there was no risk of the building collapsing but that it might be weeks before some residents could move back in. Police gave the majority of residents permission to go home at 12.30am yesterday but 51 units were declared structurally unsafe.

Firefighters and paramedics escorted those residents back to gather essential belongings, medication and pets.

One of those units belongs to John, who didn’t want to give his last name. Yesterday he hadn’t been back inside his home after hurriedly leaving without his phone or wallet.

“I heard a bang and I thought it was my next door neighbour, just kids playing a ball game. I wasn’t worried, I didn’t take it seriously,” he said.

Once the alarm was raised a large number of evacuees were able to find shelter for the night, while the rest were housed at the Sydney showground and offered help to find temporary housing.

Opal Tower has 392 apartments, commercial spaces and a childcare centre.

It was built by Icon Construction and developed by Ecove Group.

I HEARD A BANG AND I THOUGHT IT WAS … JUST KIDS PLAYING A BALL GAME. I WASN’T WORRIED, I DIDN’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

OPAL TOWER RESIDENT JOHN