The family of a trainee nurse who was found dead after a house exploded and injured several people have broken their silence.
The huge explosion occurred on the second level of the property on Waikanda Crescent in Whalan, in Sydney’s west, about 1pm on Saturday.
Jasmin Mhey, 30, was identified on Sunday night as the missing woman before search teams found her body on Monday morning.
His family issued a statement following the heartbreaking discovery.
“We would like to thank all emergency services staff for their tireless efforts over the past few days,” it said.
The family of a trainee nurse who was found dead after a house exploded and injured several people have broken their silence.
The huge explosion occurred on the second level of the property on Waikanda Crescent in Whalan, in Sydney’s west, about 1pm on Saturday.
‘We would like to especially thank all the police officers, NSW Fire and Rescue staff and NSW Ambulance paramedics.
‘The family is very grateful for your support, kindness and help.
“We would also like to thank the public for their prayers and for respecting our privacy at this tragic time.”
The explosion was heard several streets away and shattered the windows of neighboring buildings. Five other people were treated at the scene by paramedics.
Mhey’s distraught mother, Mercy, who has kept a vigil across the street to closely monitor search efforts, told neighbors she had reported the smell of gas in the building and on the street in recent years. months.
Neighbors described the moment she returned to the house.
“She (the mother) was on her knees screaming for her daughter,” a neighbor said.
“She wouldn’t leave, she sat here in the rain and cold all night saying she wouldn’t leave until her daughter came out.”
NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said heavy machinery and a large crane were used to help remove the debris and locate Ms Mhey.
“It was as a result of being able to lift those large portions of the slab and gain greater entry into the previously restricted rooms within the apartment, that we were finally able to locate the missing person,” Commissioner Fewtrell said.
Blacktown Police Area Command Superintendent Darren Newman told media on Monday that Mhey’s body was found in what was believed to be the unit’s kitchen area.
He added that officers broke the heartbreaking news to Mhey’s mother shortly after emergency services made the tragic discovery.
“As you can imagine, Mom is devastated,” Superintendent Newman said.
“We will continue to support the family through our family liaison network and ensure they receive the best possible care.”
Emergency services (pictured) braved heavy rain and cold and worked through the night in a bid to find Ms Mhey, who was trapped beneath the rubble.
Amy, a local woman, was on Waikanda Crescent shortly after the explosion and saw Mercy returning from the shops to her daughter’s house and realizing she was missing.
“He kept dialing his daughter’s number, but there was nothing,” Amy told the Daily Telegraph.
“Then he told the police that his daughter must be at Volcano’s Steakhouse in Wetherill Park… so the police called there and they said she hadn’t turned up, so we knew she must be under there.”
Another resident, Evelyn, said she sat with Mhey’s mother throughout the night and comforted her as she waited for news while emergency services searched for her daughter.
“She was soaked, so I bought her a warm sweater and a blanket,” Evelyn said.
“She kept saying ‘my daughter is strong, my daughter is strong,’ so I told her to keep believing that and have faith in that.”
Police, along with Fire and Rescue and independent gas experts, have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
The investigation is ongoing and there are no further threats to surrounding homes.
Heavy machinery and a large crane were used to help remove the debris. Ms Mhey’s body was found in what was believed to be the kitchen area of the unit.
The explosion, which was heard about 40 kilometers away, left six people hospitalized, destroyed several surrounding units and damaged other nearby homes.
Two women were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed structure: a woman in her 60s and another woman in her 70s who uses a wheelchair.
The two women were taken to St George and Hawkesbury Hospital but have since been discharged.
A further 12 people from surrounding properties were evacuated, as the explosion damaged nearby homes and apartment buildings.
Tributes have begun to flow for Ms Mhey, with some leaving flowers at the site of the terrifying terraced house explosion.
Bouquets of flowers were left at the top of the street, near the police tape that cordoned off the area.
Early indications suggest that the explosion may have been the result of a gas leak, however, the actual cause has yet to be officially determined.
