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A man who suffered burns to over 80 per cent of his body in an apartment fire has died.
Emergency services were called to the apartment at Meadowbank in Sydney’s north at around 3.30pm on Monday afternoon after neighbours reported hearing an explosion and seeing flames coming from the building.
About 50 residents were evacuated from the unit block as the fire took hold and the 45-year-old man was rushed to Royal North Shore hospital in a critical condition.
Police confirmed his death on Tuesday morning.
“An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the fire, however, the cause is not yet known,” police said.
“A report will be prepared for the coroner.”
A neighbour of the man killed in the blaze, Dafnny De Dona, described the chaotic scene as it unfolded.
“I just heard all this commotion from the fire brigades, the helicopters buzzing around, and I went out onto my balcony, and I saw this huge blaze just coming out of the balcony,” she said.
“Then I saw the water jets coming up from one angle to extinguish the fire and then there were other water jets coming in.
“There was just smoke everywhere. The helicopters were flying around and it was the biggest fire that I’ve ever seen.”
Ms De Dona said the situation was “distressing” with fear growing that other apartments could be destroyed.
“You just don’t know whether other units are going to catch on fire,” she said.
“Because it was smoking and the balcony was all outside. I wasn’t sure if it was going to collapse.”
Ms De Dona said she didn’t personally know the man, but everyone in the apartment block was friendly with each other and it was a devastating situation.
“If I were to see him, because everybody is very familiar with each other, I would recognise him but I didn’t know him personally,” she said.
“It’s distressing, it’s sad to start the year and there is nothing left, because literally everything got burnt.
“If he had children, you know, the poor kids would not have anything to come home to.”
Ms De Dona said the building was a safe one with plenty of smoke alarms that are “checked every year”.
Another resident of the building was taken to Concord Hospital after suffering a heart attack during the evacuation.
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