Demolition begins after historic building in Sydney razed by fire

Sydney, May 30

Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Tuesday commenced the demolition work at a heritage-listed building in Surry Hills, Sydney, after a fire ripped through the structure last week.

"We've got the specialist equipment from the demolition contractors. It's a 60-ton, long-reach piece of machinery that can reach in about 23 meters from the building," NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry told the local media earlier in the day.

He pointed out that the main priority for the demolition work was to do it safely and not damage anything else, including adjoining buildings and underground utilities, reports Xinhua news agency.

During a press conference held on Monday, NSW Police Force Detective Superintendent Gordon Arbinja told reporters that two homeless people, who were believed to have been sleeping in the building, still remain unaccounted for.

"We can't rule out that there were people under the rubble. We can't rule it out," said Arbinja.

According to a statement from NSW Police Force, investigators and specialist crime scene officers will conduct inquiries with the use of cadaver-detection dogs and forensic imaging as sections of the rubble are removed.

The authority has not received any reports of missing people, but investigators are unable to definitively say there is no one inside.

On May 25, a major blaze broke out in the multi-storey building located on Randle Street, which was built in the early 20th century as a hat factory.

At least 100 people have registered as being displaced due to the fire.