UPDATE MONDAY:
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Workcover has launched an investigation into the collapse of a wall at a building site at Rockdale on Friday.
A spokesman for WorkCover said they had been notified about the demolition works at the site.
‘‘WorkCover is currently making inquiries to establish what exactly happened in the incident,’’ he said.
‘‘WorkCover had not been notified about any issues at the site previously.’’
A Rockdale Council spokesman said in October the Joint Regional Planning Panel approved the demolition of existing buildings and construction of a mixed use development including four retail shops, 87 residential units, two basement levels comprising of 120 parking spaces, front fencing, lap pool and strata subdivision creating 93 lots.
One of owners of the site Barua Pty Ltd declined to comment.
UPDATE FRIDAY: 4.30pm
Fire and Rescue crews are working to dismantle scaffholding after a wall collapse at Rockdale today.
Ausgrid crews turned off power to the site and firefighters are working to remove scaffholding which is being help up by powerlines.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area with Forest Road still closed northbound between Herbert Street and Harrow Road.
Traffic is being diverted onto Harrow Road.
UPDATE: 2.30pm
NSW Fire and Rescue have confirmed that no-one was trapped under rubble after a wall collapsed at Rockdale today.
Firefighters searched the rubble by hand but failed to find anything.
Work is continuing to stabilise the building.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area with traffic heavy.
UPDATE: 1pm
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Tom Cooper said firefighters were investigating whether a person was trapped under the rubble.
‘‘Early indications were that there was no-one trappe,d however a member of the public indicated that they may have seen someone under the rubble as a pole came down,’’ he said.
‘‘Firefighters have run a thermal imaging camera over the rubble and that hasn’t indicated anyone was trapped.
‘‘Since then the scaffolding has moved significantly and the power has been turned off so we’ve had to remove rescue crews from the scene. Once it’s safe to do so they’ll go back to the scene and move the bricks by hand.’’
He said the collapse was an accident.
St George police superintendent Dave Donohue urged people to avoid the area Forest Road is closed.
‘‘We have put in place a plan for local diversions but I’m very aware of Friday peak hour traffic,’’ he said.
‘‘There are challenges in this so people should avoid the area.’’
UPDATE 11.30:
Emergency crews are trying to work out whether anyone is trapped under a wall which collapsed today at Rockdale.
The wall and scaffolding collapsed just after 8am, hitting powerlines and two cars.
Ausgrid crews have isolated the lines so fire and rescue crews can have access to the site.
The building had been under construction for the past five weeks.
Neighbours said the work site was for units.
FRIDAY MORNING:
Emergency services have been called to Frederick Street in Rockdale after a wall collapsed.
It has reportedly brought down powerlines and hit several cars.
Northbound motorists are being diverted in to Harrow Road or Bexley road.
Local diversions have been implemented for southbound motorists.
Emergency services are in attendance, allow extra travel time.
Nancy Kaafarani lives a few houses down from the building and said construction had been underway for the past five weeks.
"There was just a huge bang, voom," she said.
"Everyone on the street just came out and had a look.
"It was really lucky that no one was hurt. I have friends that walk their kids to school right past that building everyday."
More to come.
