Gas blast at food court in Sydney injures 16

Sixteen people have been injured and four hospitalized following a gas main explosion at a food court in the bustling Haymarket district of Australia’s city of Sydney, police authorities said.

The Tuesday evening incident in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood took place as 100 people were dining at the Dixon House Food Court, leading more than 200 people to flee surrounding buildings and drivers near the explosion site abandoning their vehicles, local media outlets reported.

Following the incident, emergency services spent hours to make the building safe again, before eventually shutting off the gas main at about 11 p.m.

“We treated 16 people and we transported seven to hospital,” said New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance Inspector Brian Lakin. “They were all inside the building… The leak has not been contained yet, that’s why we’re still here.”

Dozens of emergency service vehicles rushed to the scene, establishing a makeshift triage center to tend to the injured, as the crowd fled the building.

Fire and Rescue crews used Hazmat units to clear the building, according to media reports citing local emergency services authorities.

“The fire did not spread throughout the building and was contained by sprinklers and the roller door,” said an NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman.

“There is no structural damage to the building or any other surrounding buildings,” he said, adding: "Obviously the gas leak was significant to cause this explosion. We've got our heavy hazardous materials firefighters here. They've set up what we call area ray monitors and gas monitors around the area to take the readings of the gas in the area.”

He further stated that the fire and rescue authorities are working closely with police officials to investigate the cause of the gas leak and the ensuing blast.

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