Cobar’s emergency services were called the main street on Saturday morning following a partial building collapse that sent debris onto the footpath and road and forced a temporary road closure.
Nearby witnesses reported hearing a loud bang, “almost like an explosion,” as part of the building’s brick facade gave way just before 11.30am.
At the time, it’s reported a truck was travelling west on the opposite side of the road and it was initially believed that it may have been the cause of the blast, however the noise came from the brick façade collapsing.
Bystanders assisted a woman who was in the area at the time and appeared to have fainted from the shock.
She was later checked by paramedics and found to be uninjured along with her dog which was inside a vehicle parked near the debris.
The vehicle sustained some damage.
Police, Fire and Rescue, paramedics, Cobar Shire Council’s road crew and Essential Energy staff all responded, with traffic reduced to one lane for about an hour and a half while the area was secured.
Essential Energy personnel identified the building’s service line, which connects individual premises to the power network, had fallen to the ground.
They confirmed the service line was de-energised and presented no danger to the public or property.
There was no other damage to the electricity network.
Initially it was unknown if there was anyone caught under the debris however Fire and Rescue personnel quickly determined there was no one trapped.
Some damage was also caused to the frontage of an adjacent premises.
Asbestos was identified within the collapsed section and workers moved swiftly to cover and contain the site.
A private building contractor and State Emergency Service personnel later worked to seal the damaged structure.
The building, currently being used for storage, has been barricaded off and marked “Do Not Enter” as further assessments continue
