The front wall of the building which was engulfed in a massive inferno in central Sydney has shifted overnight.
Specialist teams have been monitoring the remaining Randle Street building walls with a laser and found it moved seven centimetres between Friday night and this morning.
An exclusion zone will remain in place for at least a week, especially as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) fear the wall could fall at any moment or if there is a big gust of wind.
Fire and Rescue NSW said “light smouldering from deep within the rubble” was continuing but firefighters could not extinguish the spot fires as it was not safe after it was engulfed about 4pm on Thursday.
“FRNSW firefighters remain on scene to ensure shouldering fires do not break out and take hold,” Fire and Rescue NSW said in a statement.
“An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), commanded by NSW Police, has been stood up to coordinate the operations of the multiple agencies supporting FRNSW, including the making safe or demolition of the damaged buildings.”
Southbound lanes on Elizabeth Street have reopened with barricades in place to allow traffic flow but other streets surrounding the building will remain closed.
Approximately 70 residents who cannot access their apartments are being offered emergency housing by the Red Cross.
A new video has emerged this morning of teenagers inside the abandoned and heritage listed building just days before the blaze erupted.
Rubble and destruction the day after ‘once in a decade’ blaze
Read Related Also: Celebrities With Famous Grandparents
It comes as two 13-year-olds came forward to NSW Police yesterday.
No charges have been laid yet as police are still waiting for more young people to hand themselves.
Police are yet to confirm if they have located two people who were known to sleep rough in the area.
Yesterday the ten-alarm fire was described as a “once in a decade” inferno.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said firefighters did an “exceptional” job at working quickly to stop the spread and to get people out of danger, especially those on nearby rooftops, balconies and below on the street before the wall crumbled.
He said the dry timber framework stacked with plenty of airflow created the “perfect set of conditions for an intense fire”.
More than 120 firefighters were called to the scene from multiple stations across Sydney, needing hours to contain the blaze with a combination of aerial and ground attacks.
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
