Family speak out after horror unit explosion

The family of a young nurse who was killed when a western Sydney unit exploded have spoken out for the first time.

Jasmin Mhey, 30, was visiting her mother when the unit on Waikanda Cres in Whalan exploded on Saturday, almost completely collapsing the townhouse.

Emergency services rush to the scene but were unable to retrieve Ms Mhey’s body until Monday when a crane was brought in to remove heavy concrete debris.

While the woman’s body has yet to be formally her identified, her family said in a statement through NSW Police that they were thankful for the work of the rescuers.

“We would like to thank all of the emergency services personnel for their tireless efforts over the past few days,” the statement said.

“We especially want to thank all the police officers, NSW Fire and Rescue personnel, and NSW Ambulance paramedics.

“The family is so appreciative of their support, kindness and assistance.

“We’d also like to thank the public for their prayers and for respecting our privacy at this tragic time.”

Blacktown Police Area Command Commander Detective Superintendent Darren Newman said the woman’s mother was “devastated” by the news.

“We’ve been working closely with her (the woman’s mother) ever since this was recorded,” he said.

“We had to deliver a death message this morning, and from our perspective we will continue to provide the family with support”.

Mr Newman said the woman’s body had been removed and that the formal identification process would take place over next couple of hours.

He confirmed a coronial order had been issued and that a “comprehensive and significant” examination of the site would take place over coming days.

Fire and Rescue NSW and independent gas experts were expected to stay at the site throughout the day to investigate the cause of the explosion.

FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said rescuers were able to locate the woman’s on Monday after a crane was brought in to remove the concrete slab.

Shock vision has captured the moment a Whalan townhouse was destroyed by a powerful explosion, as relatives of those injured speak out.

“The big challenge was being able to move through the concrete slabs,” he said.

“Having to cut through the slabs to break bits of that off to gain access to then sort of have a look in there.

“Because we had removed a lot of the overburden-type material, were then able to start breaking the larger parts of the slab.”

Mr Fewtrell said the woman was located in the kitchen of the home.

During their search, Mr Fewtrell said rescuers worked around the clock to remove the roof, timber, and “bricks – tonnes and tonnes of bricks”.

Rescuers were also required to tunnel and cut into the wreckage, and used search cameras to investigate small voids “they couldn’t access physically”.

All the while, the search crews were required to monitor the safety of the atmosphere at the site.

The tragic event triggered an outpouring of grief among the local community.

Residents told the Daily Telegraph her mother, Mercy, kept vigil from across the street as rescuers desperately sifted through debris.

“She (Ms Mhey’s mother) kept dialling her daughter’s number, but there was nothing,” local woman Amy said.

“Then she told the police her daughter was meant to be at Volcano’s steak restaurant at Wetherill Park.

“So, the police rang there and they said she hadn’t turned up, so we knew she must be under there.”

Another local told the Sydney paper Mercy had kept saying “my daughter’s strong, my daughter’s strong”.

Multiple bouquets of flowers were placed outside the site of the home on Monday morning as the community came together to grieve.

“Our prayers and thoughts go out to the young lady’s family this morning – we are all so sorry,” one local said.

“We were all hoping for a better outcome out of this terrible situation … a huge thank you to all emergency services involved”.

NSW Fire and Rescue, police and specialist urban rescue crews had been sifting through the rubble at Waikanda Crescent in Whalan since the explosion.

Firefighters rushed to the site of the incident at Waikanda Crescent, which injured six people and destroyed multiple nearby units shortly before 1pm on Saturday.

The explosion was so strong it was felt 40 kilometres away.

Five people were evacuated, including two women aged in their 60s and 70s. A dog was also rescued.

Early rescue efforts were hampered by the gas mains, which were unable to be isolated until later into Saturday afternoon.

Once shut off, a large-scale search got underway as rescuers desperately sifted through the rubble, including with seismic monitoring devices.

Early reports indicated rescuers had heard tapping or banging noises soon in the hours immediately after the explosion.

While the cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, it is thought to have been the result of a gas leak.

Housing Minister Rose Jackson told Nine News on Sunday her department was investigating reports of a gas smell at the government-owned units.

“I am deeply concerned to hear of accounts from residents who reportedly raised the issue of the smell of gas within the last 12 months,” she said.

“I have instructed Homes NSW to urgently investigate this matter. The Department are currently checking maintenance logs for any history of this.”

Ms Jackson confirmed residents would be entitled to counselling and temporary accommodation until future housing options were identified.