Three people have been "burnt alive" and a fourth man is battling life-threatening injuries after a car flipped and burst into flames near Sydney's Darling Harbour in the early hours of Saturday morning.
NSW Police said emergency services were called to the corner of Harbour and Pier Streets after a Nissan GT-R high performance car rolled and caught fire shortly before 3am.
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The car exploded into flames near Darling Harbour leaving three people dead and another person is battling serious injuries.
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Three dead after CBD car crash
The car exploded into flames near Darling Harbour leaving three people dead and another person is battling serious injuries.
"Speed - and considerable speed at that - along with a loss of control are two contributing factors [in the crash]," Superintendent Paul Pisanos, from Sydney City Local Area Command, said on Saturday.Â
Superintendent Pisanos said police were "extremely traumatised" after attempting to save two men and a woman who caught alight inside the car and were "effectively ... burnt alive".
He said the lone survivor, a 39-year-old Leichhardt man, was dragged from the wreckage and taken to St Vincent's Hospital. He had "extensive facial and head injuries" and most of his ribs were broken.
He said the car had not been involved in a police pursuit but witnesses had suggested it was "speeding as it came down Goulburn street" before hitting a guardrail outside the Novotel Rockford hotel.
There was no suggestion at present that the car was involved in a street race but "we are looking at that as a possibility", he said.
Peter Sergeant was staying at the Novotel, directly outside the scene of the crash, when he heard the bang.
"It was loud enough that I thought it was a bomb," Mr Sergeant said.
"Then there was this heap of fire just below our window. We saw a group of people dragging someone along the footpath. We assumed that was someone who was injured or something like that."
Mr Sergeant said "it looked like bystanders" were dragging the man and "he wasn't conscious; I don't even know if he was alive".
It appeared the crash was just outside one of the Novotel's emergency exits, he said.
Patrons had to evacuate the hotel after one of the stairwells filled with smoke and were standing outside for about an hour.
The deadly accident is being investigated by police from the Sydney City Local Area Command, with the assistance of the Crash Investigation Unit.
Superintendent Pisanos said a number of people tried to render aid at the scene.
"Three young male police officers and a female police officer, all of varying experience, put their own welfare and lives on the line ... to try and extinguish what was quite a volatile fire and to try and save [lives]," he said.
Investigators have asked anyone who might have mobile phone vision of the crash or the events prior to it to contact them.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The burnt out shell of the Nissan GT-R has been taken away for forensic examination. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/xm1NYRBX8r
â Natasha Squarey (@NatashaSquarey) September 9, 2017
with Jo Tovey