Sydney shop blast: 'We still hold hope of finding survivors'

Bianka O'Brien, baby Jude, and another man are feared dead after a massive fire tore through a Sydney store underneath their apartments.

The search continues for the trio who were unaccounted after the massive blast almost levelled the building on Darling Street at Rozelle, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Firefighters remain hopeful despite holding grave fears for the 31-year-old mum, her 12-month-old son, and a 30-year-old man, from a separate unit.

Remote cameras are being used to search through voids of the rubble for possible survivors.

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Bianka O'Brien, baby Jude, and another man are feared dead after a massive fire tore through a Sydney store underneath their apartments. Photo: AAP

Two men sleeping in an upstairs apartment jumped for their lives from the burning building.

Another man was crushed under a commercial fridge and was only found by emergency crews who saw his hand sticking out of the rubble.

Authorities still hold out hope of finding survivors after a shocking explosion at a Sydney convenience store left three people unaccounted for. Photo: NSW Fire & Rescue

"[He was] completely submerged except for his hands only sticking out of the rubble they dug him out with the bare hands pulled him out and he's also been handed to ambulance," Superintendent Paul Johnston said.

Emergency services are expected to conduct a new search of the property, but had been unable to account for everyone in the building.

"There are three people who are unaccounted for at this stage and we do have fears for their wellbeing," Superintendent Johnstone said.

There are fresh fears for up to three people, including a mother and baby, who are unaccounted for after an explosion ripped through a Sydney convenience store and unit. Photo: AAP

He said they could include a mother and child, who lived in the units adjoining the convenience store.

"Any call at that time in the morning is a concern for firefighters," he said.

"At 4am you are always assuming people are inside and asleep."

Neighbour Anthony Carroll, who lost everything in the fire, said there were concerns for the mother and her baby.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those feared missing in the Rozelle fire," paramedics tweeted. Photo: NSW Ambulance

"I just hope they stayed somewhere else last night," he said.

Fire ripped through the building and threatened to spread to adjoining businesses.

Residents living near the store were forced to flee with only the clothes on their back, and some people leapt from the second storey to the ground.

Rozelle residents were woken by the sound of explosions. Photo: 7News

It's not yet known what caused the explosion.

One witness has reported seeing a car speeding away, moments before the blast.

“I came down straight away, and it was just mayhem,” one witness told 7News.

"The explosion was so loud that it knocked out glass from shops across the road basically hoping and praying that nobody upstairs was caught."

There are fresh fears people are missing after an explosion ripped through a convenience store and unit in Sydney's inner-west. Photo: 7News

"The dogs were howling and my curtain flew open, I thought I was in a war zone," another local told Yahoo!7 News.

Authorities are advising parents of Rozelle Public School children there will be road closures this afternoon.

Pedestrian access is possible via Darling Street and Wellington Street, with parking on the Lilyfield side of Victoria Road, or other nearby streets.

MORE to come...