Six adults and a young child have been taken to hospital after a gas explosion in Sydney's Chinatown on Tuesday night.
At least 200 people were in the five-storey building in Haymarket when the explosion occurred in the loading dock of the building's food court around 7.40pm on Tuesday.
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Seven injured by gas explosion in Sydney
Six adults and a young child have been taken to hospital after a gas explosion in Sydney's Chinatown. Vision: Seven News
Firefighters and paramedics were called to the food court on the corner of Little Hay Street and Sussex Street at 7.40pm.
The force of the blast was felt at the building's loading dock and required the building to be evacuated, Superintendent Paul Johnstone from Fire and Rescue NSW said.
"The explosion blew out the roller shutter door, injuring people in the immediate vicinity," Mr Johnstone said.
"There was no fire spread after the explosion. The sprinklers activated and contained any fire."
The blast injured at least 16 people, who were assessed by paramedics for cuts and lacerations.
Seven were taken to hospital.
"It took a couple of seconds to sink in, at the moment, I was just in shock for a while," one witness told Nine News.
"It was just unreal. Everyone was looking around wondering what would happen.
"I think a few thought it was an explosion so they just sort of took back away and assessed what was going on to understand the next move."
Reports up to 14 injured inc boy after gas explosion on Little Hay Street, Haymarket. Firies working to make sense of the incident @2GBNews pic.twitter.com/owabi4C0tg
— Adam Marsters (@AdamMarsters) November 29, 2016
One adult and a young boy, believed to be two years old, were taken to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick in the same ambulance.
The boy had a laceration to his head and lip, a spokesman for NSW Ambulance said.
Three adults were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and two were taken to St Vincent's Hospital.
Exact injuries of the adult patients were not known, but it is understood they suffered various cuts and lacerations.
Two hundred people who were inside the five-storey building at the time of the blast were not injured, but were evacuated as a precaution in case gas remained in the building.
Police cordoned off the footpath as firefighters investigated.
There was no damage to surrounding buildings, and the blast is not believed to be suspicious.
Eight fire trucks and 40 firefighters remained on the scene for hours after the explosion, as utility workers were called to isolate the building's gas.
The entire building would be checked for pockets of gas before residents were allowed back in, Mr Johnstone said.
Firefighters do not believe the explosion affected the building's structural integrity.
with AAP