Fire Breaks Out at Sydney Construction Site in Circular Quay

Fire Breaks Out at Sydney Construction Site in Circular Quay
A fire broke out at a construction site on the corner of Pitt and Alfred Streets in Circular Quay, Sydney, on Feb. 13, 2018. (Screenshot via Google Maps)
Janita Kan
2/12/2018
Updated:
2/12/2018

A massive fire has broken out at a construction site in Circular Quay, Sydney, with a series of loud explosions heard at around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Feb. 13.

Multiple fire and rescue crews responded to the blaze at a building under construction on Pitt St in Sydney’s central business district (CBD).

The site has since been evacuated, according to a Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) statement.

The blaze broke out just metres away from Circular Quay station and the Cahill Expressway, which were temporarily closed due to the incident.

According to 9News, the scaffolding on the site went up in flames, and workers were temporarily trapped at the top of the building.

A number of small explosions were heard as the fire raged on, reportedly caused by a forklift on the site, reported Fairfax, citing an FRNSW spokesman. However, there was no indication that the forklift was the cause of the blaze.

“It’s what we call a third-alarm response at the moment, which is quite a big response,” a FRNSW spokesman told 9NEWS.

“All people have been evacuated and no inquiries have been reported. The crews have said the outside sheeting of scaffolding is alight.

“There’s a lot of smoke in the area and a lot of traffic around the CBD at 9 a.m. An exclusion zone is in place at the moment,” the spokesman added.

Sydney Trains urged commuters to allow extra travel time if travelling on the City Circle line.

The Circular Quay area is a major Sydney transport hub and a gateway to many of Sydney’s iconic attractions such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

From NTD.tv
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