The demolition of an inner-Sydney building that was gutted by fire last week has begun after specialist cadaver dogs were brought in to sweep the ruins.
Two homeless people remain unaccounted for, with police using cadaver dogs and forensic imaging to detect anyone who may have been killed in the blaze.
No discoveries have been made.
The search was held alongside demolition works at the building on Randle Street in Surry Hills.
A fourth child has come forward to police over a monstrous inferno that tore through an empty building in Sydney, while two homeless people known to sleep in the building are still unaccounted for.
Clean-up crews have been able to access the Randall Street site in Surry Hills five days after the blaze, as they prepare the old heritage building for demolition.
A bobcat was brought in today to clear bricks and debris from the surrounding streets, while firefighters were tasked with smashing the windows of an adjacent office after they were damaged by heat.
NSW Fire and Rescue superintendent Adam Dewberry said initial preparation work is expected to start in the next few hours, which includes clearing the large rubble and large piles of bricks.
”We need to make sure that we don’t make the situation worse by rupturing them or causing this building that’s got unsafe walls for those parts to collapse onto other unaffected buildings.”
Rubble and destruction the day after ‘once in a decade’ blaze
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Specialist equipment will be brought into the site before the structure will be pulled down in stages.
Arson detectives will search the rubble for remains with two people known to sleep rough in the area who are unaccounted for.
“They were frequented by homeless people in this area living rough (and) sleeping rough,” NSW Police detective superintendent Gordon Arbinja said.
“I don’t have their identities, I just have a description of them but we need to do the best that we can do to account for these people.”
Meanwhile, a fourth boy has come forward to police in relation to the fire.
All of the boys have been let go so far pending further enquiries.
Detectives have not said if any of the four will be charged.
“At this stage, we’re not going to reveal what they’ve actually said,” Arbinja said.
“We’ll go through the whole investigation and then we’ll work out what the best and most appropriate measure is to solve this matter.”
It is unlikely any part of the heritage building will be saved.
The owners are said to be devastated a development application for a revamped five-star hotel will not go ahead.
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