Carpark collapse forces evacuation of Westfield Eastgardens

A SHOPPING centre in east Sydney has been evacuated with fears a partial car park collapse could create a "domino effect". 
 

Superintendent Rick Parkes of Fire and Rescue NSW says part of the car park at Westfield Eastgardens at Pagewood, collapsed about 7am (AEST) on Tuesday, well before the centre's usual 9am open.

A second-level steel beam that supported the car park roof had "weakened and broken", he said.
People - among them former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally - were evacuated before the whole centre was closed off after a survey revealed the collapse might have caused structural damage, he said.
"It is better safe than sorry because there is the risk of a domino effect," Supt Parkes told AAP.
It's thought the damage was caused by a collapse of an air conditioning unit at McDonald's and has extended to inside the complex and also the car park ground level.

Police have set up an exclusion zone around the centre, and are redirecting shoppers who try to access the carpark.
Staff have been told the centre will not open for trade for the rest of the day.

Source: News Limited

Ms Keneally was one of the shoppers caught up in the evacuation, The Southern Courier reports.
She tweeted just after 9am "I'm at Westfield Eastgardens. Part of the centre has just collapsed. All inside being evacuated."
Ms Keneally wasn't sure of where the collapse occured, she was at the other end of the complex when it happened.

A image distributed on Twitter of the collapsed portion of the Westfield, Eastgardens, shopping centre carpark. Source: Supplied

Pagewood resident Lee Lapsin, who was driving by the scene, said it's "devastating to think if it happened a few hours later, the casualties would of been enormous".
"Not to mention my daughter and I drove over the exact now collapsed car park less than 12 hrs ago to get last minute things for her school camp this morning."

The Major Structural Collapse Urban Search and Rescue Unit is on scene.
It appeared a beam dislodged, causing the collapse.
Police are urging motorists to avoid Wentworth Avenue, Bunnerong Road and Banks Avenue in Eastgardens due to an ongoing emergency services operation.

Shoppers were evacuated after the collapse of the first floor carpark at Eastgardens Shopping Centre this morning. Picture: Ross Schultz Source: The Daily Telegraph

It appears no-one has been trapped or injured as a result of the collapse and there is no immediate danger to the public.
One trader wasn't happy about the centre being closed.

“It’s not good for us at all…retail is tough enough as it is, but what can we do,” one store manager said.

Toyah McKinney had just opened her menswear store when she was told to evacuate.

"I was just sitting at my shop, and the alarm started going off, I'd already opened the doors, and then some lady came in screaming 'get out it's collapsing'," she said.

Ms McKinney admitted she wasn't scared.
"I've worked at Miranda Westfield and they had a lot of pranks like that during the day - but obviously it wasn't a prank today."

Source: Sydney NEWS