Surry Hills warehouse before fire shown in TikTok footage
Police are still searching for a group of teenagers who were seen Thursday near the scene of the fire that destroyed a 19th-century Surry Hills building. Videos have surfaced on social media showing people exploring the abandoned building before it burns down.
NSW Fire and Rescue teams used laser equipment to monitor the building’s walls for movement overnight and recorded movement of the front wall by around 70mm, as firefighters said the exclusion zone around the building would remain in place on Saturday.
A “slightly smoldering” fire continues to burn deep inside the Grade I listed building, which firefighters are unable to put out because of the risk of the building collapsing, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW said. More than 70 residents of neighboring apartment buildings who were evacuated Thursday may not be able to return home for a week or more.
Meanwhile, footage has surfaced on social media of people exploring the abandoned Randle Street warehouse before it was destroyed by fire. The videos show the graffiti-covered walls inside the building and views of the Sydney skyline from the roof.
Views of the Surry Hills building which was destroyed by fire on Thursday.Credit: rleywn.2
In a TikTok video, a person who claimed to have visited the site said they had “a beautiful view of the city from the top” and that it was very relaxing and nice to go there.
However, the number of visitors to the site increased as the location was announced on social media, the person claimed.
“When I first found my way in and showed my friends I was in there quite a bit, I never saw anyone else, but as it grew in popularity on TikTok, I started meeting more and more people,” the person said.
Inside the Surry Hills building before it was destroyed by fire.Credit: rleywn.2
