'Lost a lot of blood': Toddler undergoes surgery after gas explosion
A 19-month-old boy has undergone emergency surgery on Wednesday afternoon following a huge gas explosion in Chinatown.
The child was one of the seven people taken to hospital when a blast blew doors off hinges, shattered glass and forced 200 people to flee.
Oliver was with his father Jason Saeter, his mother and four-year-old brother Coby when the explosion ripped through the Dixon House food court.
Coby was left bloodied and bruised by the blast, while Oliver was rushed to hospital after he was struck in the head by flying metal.
"He had a very deep head laceration, and lost a lot of blood and as a result he'll be going under the surgeon's knife to patch that up and touch wood he'll be ok,” Mr Saeter said.
"We were literally in the epicentre of the explosion."
The family was having an early dinner when a gas leak in the building's basement suddenly ignited.
"We got fire in the shop big big fire,” young Coby said while sporting a bandage on his face.
The blast was so powerful the loading dock roller door was blown out and windows shattered.
"We just heard this massive big bang and this fellow got thrown across the road,” one victim recalled.
A scene so chaotic, even firefighters feared the worst. Sixteen people were injured, a further seven taken to hospital.
"When I first arrived it did resemble a big blast zone,” the shocked firefighter added.
How long the gas had been leaking from the pipe is not known but that will form part of the investigation as firefighters, police and engineers try to answer the question many are asking - how this could have happened underneath one of Sydney's busiest food courts.
Meanwhile, doctors have confirmed they are pleased with how the operation, which involved cleaning out the gash on the toddler's head, went.
His mother has not left his bedside since he was rushed to hospital last night, both she and her husband also suffered some cuts and bruises, but their priority has been ensuring their children get the best care possible.
Doctors said Oliver should be able to go home as early as tomorrow or Friday.
