2 hospitalized in serious condition after building collapses in Sydney

Two people suffered serious injuries Monday after part of a building in Sydney, Australia collapsed onto parked vehicles at a nearby service station, authorities said.

Emergency crews responded to the incident in the inner-city suburb of Ultimo shortly before 11 a.m. local time (0100GMT), ABC News Australia reported.

A man in his 60s and another in his 30s were rescued from the rubble and taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

One man was taken to St Vincent's Hospital and the other to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, while five others were treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.

Fire officials said the building had been under construction and nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Firefighters and urban search and rescue teams remained at the scene to assess the structure for further collapse risks.

SafeWork inspectors and officials from the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union arrived at the site to investigate, while representatives from Building Commission NSW were also expected to be present.

Sydney authorities approved a A$9.5 million ($6.4 million) redevelopment of the site in 2020, including demolition of the existing warehouse and construction of a five-story student accommodation complex.