A mother has been left “devastated” after a woman was found dead in the rubble of a social housing townhouse in Sydney’s west after it collapsed on Saturday following a massive explosion that was felt in neighbouring suburbs.
New South Wales police and fire and rescue services had been searching for Mhey Yumol Jasmin, who had been unaccounted for after the blast on Waikanda Crescent in Whalan, before her body was found early on Monday morning.
Det Supt Darren Newman from NSW police said Jasmin’s mother was “devastated” after her daughter’s body was located in the kitchen of the collapsed home at 3.20am.
“We had to deliver a death message this morning,” he said.
In a statement released through NSW police on Monday morning, Jasmin’s family thanked emergency services personnel “for their tireless efforts over the past few days”.
“The family is so appreciative of their support, kindness and assistance,” the statement said.
“We’d also like to thank the public for their prayers and for respecting our privacy at this tragic time.”
Emergency services will continue to pick through what remains of the property over the coming days as they investigate the cause of the blast, including whether gas played a role.
Newman said the gas supply, maintenance and inspection logs would be reviewed.
A spokesperson for gas provider Jemena said the company was “cooperating fully” with investigators.
“There is significant damage to the area which means that the investigation into the cause may take some time,” the spokesperson said.
The housing minister, Rose Jackson, has ordered an investigation from the department following reports that residents had raised concerns about smelling gas over the past year.
“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.”
She said what had happened was “devastating” and the safety of residents was the first priority.
“Our immediate concern is ensuring everyone is receiving the care and support they need during this distressing time,” she said.
Dozens of search and rescue technicians, including firefighters who responded to last year’s earthquake disaster in Turkey, were working at the scene. A police dog and acoustic devices were used to search for survivors.
Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner, Jeremy Fewtrell, said the work had been particularly dangerous.
“Anytime you have a building that undergoes a shock and a structural failure, particularly on a scale of what occurred on Saturday, it is inherently an extremely complex and dangerous situation,” he said.
Crews earlier rescued a woman in her 60s and a woman in her 70s from the ruins, and later saved a small dog that was unharmed.
The women were among five people at the scene taken to hospital on Saturday afternoon – three to Mount Druitt hospital and two to the Hawkesbury district health service. All had been released by Sunday morning.
NSW Ambulance chief superintendent, Ian Johns, paid his respects to the victim’s family.
“Someone has lost their life in this incident and we pay our respects to that family and to their friends and to this community,” he said.
Mental health support will be provided for those affected at the Mount Druitt health centre.
