Fire destroys seven-story heritage-listed building in Sydney

A seven-story heritage-listed building in Surry Hills, Sydney was destroyed in a fire on Thursday afternoon.

The 111-year-old building used to be a hat factory, but has been left unoccupied, waiting to be turned into a hotel, through a $40 million redevelopment plan.

The building caught on fire at 4pm, local time, and a large part of it, including its roof and part of façade, had collapsed by 6pm.

100 firefighters battled the flames, while reports exist of 15 homeless finding shelter in the abandoned building the previous night, 13 of which have been accounted for.

Phu Tang, a locksmith working next door reported seeing teenagers running from the scene, as the building was going up in flames. Two teenagers have turned themselves in, while police are aware of at least three to four more presents at the time.

The area has been taped off by the police, while a neighboring building has been evacuated and another one has been left without power, with its residents unable to enter.