Ashfield apartment building evacuated after cracks appear in brickwork
Residents in an apartment building in Ashfield in Sydney's inner-west were evacuated in the early hours of Friday morning after cracks appeared in the block's brickwork.
Firefighters and police were called to the three-level building about 3.30am after residents in the six-unit building reported cracking in one of the units. The building has 11 residents.
A resident in front of the apartment complex that has suffered damage.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Fire and Rescue NSW said initial reports indicated that brickwork in the building on Knocklayde Street had started to show cracking and internal doors were stuck shut due to building distortion.
"Specialist firefighters from Liverpool fire station were requested, they attended and set up laser measuring devices to monitor for further building movement," a spokesman said.
The building is near where the new M4 East tunnels link to Parramatta Road. The new M4 East is part of the $16.8 billion WestConnex toll road project.
An exclusion zone has been set up around the apartment building and residents have been evacuated to a nearby community centre.
"The exclusion zone will remain in place until the structural integrity of the building is assessed," a NSW Police spokeswoman said. "We are not going to know more until they go through it."
Fire and Rescue crews from across Sydney's inner-west and as far south as Liverpool attended the call out to the Ashfield building.
Comment was being sought from Transport for NSW and WestConnex.
Emergency services attended the apartment complex on Friday.Credit:Kate Geraghty