Rozelle shop explosion: Search continues for mother and baby, body found in rubble

The search continues for a mother and her baby believed to be trapped under the rubble of a convenience store that was destroyed by an explosion yesterday.

Bianka O'Brien, 31, and her 12-month-old son Jude were reported missing after the blast occurred early Thursday morning at Rozelle in Sydney's inner west.

The body of a man was retrieved late last night and is believed to be that of 30-year-old Chris Noble, who was also reported missing after the Darling Street blast ripped through the shop and units.

Ms O'Brien and her son lived behind the convenience store in a separate unit to Mr Noble.

Officers have spoken to their relatives but are yet to release any information about them to the public.

Search and rescue teams have continued to comb the rubble brick by brick hours after the blast, which authorities are treating as suspicious.

Superintendent Tom Cooper could not say whether the mother or baby were among the rubble, but described the search as a "slow process" because the wreckage was so unstable.

He said the damage to the building was similar to what might be seen after a major earthquake.

"When I arrived at the site yesterday afternoon it was very reminiscent of Christchurch," he said.

Superintendent Cooper said search crews were using the same methods and equipment used in natural disaster zones.

"Firefighters from the urban search and rescue team have been using state-of-the-art listening devices, have been using cameras to go into the rubble to look for any voids where people might have been able to survive," he said.

"It's equipment that we've used on deployments overseas to Christchurch and in Japan."

He said as time went by, the chance of finding survivors would diminish, but rescue crews were hopeful.

"We're not giving up hope, because as we saw in Thredbo with Stuart Diver and we've seen in earthquakes around the world, that people do get found after a certain amount of time," he said.

Police begin criminal investigation

It is understood homicide detectives are assisting in the investigating into the explosion.

Leichhardt area commander Inspector Clive Ainley said the Arson and Property Crimes unit has begun interviewing witnesses.

"The investigation takes second place against the rescue. Rescue first," he said.

"When the NSW Fire and Rescue have done their job, they'll hand the crime scene back to us when it's safe, we'll start our forensic examination."

As police try to determine the cause of the explosion, they were also looking for a silver sedan seen leaving the area at the time of the blast.

"This fire is being treated as suspicious unless something is determined otherwise," Leichhardt Inspector Clive Ainley said.

"We haven't examined the crime scene. We are still in the rescue phase. That's our primary objective.

"We [know about] a silver sedan. I'd be calling on the public with any information to contact Crime Stoppers if you have any information about this car."

Rescuers continue to scour blast wreckage

Authorities are using State Emergency Service (SES) dogs, cameras and listening devices to search the debris.

Superintendent Paul Johnstone said crews worked through the night.

"We're not giving up hope and whilst we are in that situation we'll still be removing brick by brick as fast as we can," he said.

"It's just a painstaking experience to make sure everyone is safe, both the unaccounted people and firefighters working on the scene.

"The building has collapsed, both buildings either side are structurally unsound.

"We have monitoring equipment so if these buildings were to move as much as five millimetres — it would alarm and we'd be out."

Two residents living above the shop had jumped from the second storey, while police said the owner of the shop was rescued after he became trapped under a fridge.

He suffered serious head injuries and was transferred to hospital.

Police are yet to speak to him.

Residents mourn loss

Local resident Glenn Dubois, who survived the 2002 Bali bombings, said he was shattered by the Rozelle blast.

"It certainly brings back memories," he said.

"I think the community in general is in shock. And it'll take a long time to recover from this, the nice inner city community atmosphere we've got here."

Another resident, Rachel Lonergan, said it was a sad and shocking scene.

"[It's] very shocking to see those photos from above where you see those buildings not existing anymore - the idea that the building was there yesterday and not there today and knowing that there's been loss of life," she said.

Rozelle School usually hosts thousands of visitors from across Sydney to the markets in its grounds each Saturday and Sunday.

But this weekend they will be closed because access to the suburb is likely to remain restricted and because locals are suffering an emotional impact from the blast.

Jeanne Albrecht, who runs the markets, said it would not be right to have them open so close to the site of the tragedy.

Like many locals in this tight knit community she is horrified by the blast, shaken by the belief it may not have been accidental, and devastated for the families involved.

"I know the guy in the phone shop. I know it was his sister," she said.

"It's just awful. I can't believe it happened here."