There is evidence to suggest that illegal building alterations may have contributed to a recent fatal fire in an apartment building at Bankstown.
1 The fire reached an explosive state known as 'flashover' in its first 15 minutes, and the intense heat led two young women to jump from the fifth-floor balcony, where the fire had started.
2 Yinuo Jiang, a 27-year-old student, managed to survive the fall - although she is still recovering from severe injuries. Her friend, 21-year-old Connie Zhang, died at the scene.
According to a recent
Sydney Morning Herald report, the roof which covered an interior atrium was not included in plans approved by council.
3 The enclosed atrium is thought to have contributed to the accumulation of trapped dense smoke inside the building, which hindered residents' access to internal fire escapes. (To read more about this tragic accident, login to the
ANZ Reference Centre (Ebsco) with your library card's barcode.)
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) provides the minimum regulatory requirements for all building work in Australia. If you would like to access the
BCA and Standards Online database for quick and convenient access to vital building information, ask staff at the information desk of Hurstville Library to log you in with the required password.
Rayyan
References
1Sean Nicholls and Josephine, T 2012, 'Roof of fatal fire block 'not approved'', Sydney Morning Herald, 8 September, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 October 2012.
2Stuart Washington, A 2012, 'Fire flat building changes: 15 minutes to 'flashover'', Sydney Morning Herald, 21 September, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 October 2012.
3 Op.cit.
by psychopyko 
Popular author David Hill who has written extensively about many key periods in Australian history will be Hurstville Library's next guest author. David's newest book The Great Race: : The Race Between the English and the French to Complete the Map of Australia is an account of the thrilling race between Frenchman Nicolas Baudin and Englishman Matthew Flinders to chart the coast of Australia. On the afternoon of 8 April 1802, in the remote southern ocean, the two explorers had a remarkable chance encounter. Written from diaries and other first-hand accounts, this is the fascinating story of men whose drawings recorded countless previously unknown species and turned mythical creatures into real ones, and whose skill and determination enabled Terra Australis Incognita to become Australia.
