'Unstable' two-storey building in Rockdale at risk of collapse after sinkhole opens up
A two-storey office building in Sydney's south is at risk of collapse after a sinkhole opened up below the structure.
An exclusion zone has been set up after a sinkhole appeared in the car park of a commercial building in the industrial complex on West Botany Street in Rockdale.
The office building has been left "unstable" and appeared to be sagging in the middle, Fire and Rescue NSW said.
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The sinkhole opened up below the Rockdale building. Fire and Rescue NSW
It's believed the sinkhole opened up overnight or early this morning.
Approximately 20 people were evacuated from the area at 6.30am today.
Workers in the nearby M6 tunnel were also evacuated after material was seen falling from the tunnel at about 5.30am, Transport for NSW said.
"There was observed incoming material from the crown of the tunnel, as a precautionary measure ... all workers in the tunnel were evacuated," Transport for NSW deputy secretary Camilla Drover said.
"It's fair to say it is very early days, investigations are continuing."
Construction Organiser for the Australian Workers, Steve Ackerman, said the small amount of material falling from the roof of the tunnel quickly progressed into a "large hole".
"There was some material falling that progressed into something much more significant, the volume of the material got much worse," he said.
"There was some kind of ground failure."
FRNSW is working with experts to determine the cause of the ground collapse.
Firefighters have set up laser monitoring equipment to detect any further movement of the building.
The roof of the building could be seen visibly sagging. Fire and Rescue NSW
Transport for NSW said the area has been cornered off and no roads have been closed yet.
"Transport for NSW is working with Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Police after a subsidence on-site near a commercial building in Rockdale, near the M6 construction site," a spokesperson said.
There have been no reports of injuries so far.
A sinkhole has opened near an industrial complex in Rockdale, Sydney. 9News
An exclusion zone has been set up, with motorists and pedestrians urged to avoid the area.
Transport for NSW will work to backfill the hole when the site is declared safe.
No roads have been closed.
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