Police hunt for elderly man over explosions and fires at Gosford Legal Offices

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A search is underway for a man aged in his sixties seen around the time of several explosions and fires in two office buildings on the New South Wales central coast.

Transcript

00:00Two crime scenes unfolded here on Donison Street in the Gosford CBD very quickly yesterday

00:07afternoon.

00:08The first was in the legal aid building where there were reports of an explosion.

00:12That building was quickly evacuated and no one there was injured, very fortunately.

00:16But as things were unfolding outside the legal aid building, police were called two blocks

00:20up the street to the building behind me, the Kensman building in the Gosford CBD, where

00:25there were reports of a man entering one of the levels of the buildings where there

00:30are legal officers located, lighting a fire, and then as he moved away and made his way

00:35outside of the building, it quickly filled with black smoke.

00:39About 50 people needed to be evacuated.

00:41No serious injuries reported from that one as well, which is quite fortunate, although

00:44one person was treated for the effects of smoke.

00:48So there were quite a few police and fire and rescue officers on the scene for a very

00:52long time yesterday afternoon.

00:54At the moment, detectives are still waiting to get back in to examine the crime scene.

00:58The ABC understands that the carbon monoxide levels in the building are still just too

01:02high at the moment.

01:04Across the road from this building, the Gosford Courthouse is also located, where it's understood

01:09the officials there are on high alert as well.

01:11Sarah, do police have any idea of who the suspect might be?

01:18Well, look, they have released some CCT vision, deep vision, of a man looking to be aged in

01:25his 60s.

01:26He was dressed pretty casually in dark clothes, tracksuit pants, a cap, and had a mask on

01:30at the time that that vision was taken.

01:32Police do believe that he is someone who can assist with their inquiries.

01:36Of course, they are also interested in hearing from any other witnesses around the vicinity

01:40of Donison Street in Gosford yesterday afternoon between 2.30pm and 3pm, who they have not

01:44spoken to already.

01:47For more information, visit www.fema.gov

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