The bomb squad has been called in to help investigate the cause of a massive explosion at a block of units in Perth. The condition of the casualties was not immediately known, but the blast at 6.25am (WST) today all but destroyed the unit block in Raymond Street at suburban Yokine. The tenants of the 24 units, many of whom were elderly people, were shaken and shocked by the incident, which was felt by residents at least 500 metres away. "It's like a war zone. It's really quite incredible," a spokesman for the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) said. "The central units where the explosion originated from are totally destroyed."Mario Tornatora said residents from several streets away emerged from their houses wondering what had happened. "It sounded like a bomb going off. It was huge. It shook the bloody house. I actually jumped out of bed," Mr Tornatora said. Another resident Tony Holmes said he was among the first on the scene and saw a man with his head sticking out of the rubble. "There was one old boy trapped with rubble on top of him and he was just moaning very softly," Mr Holmes told ABC radio. "His head was sticking out of the rubble and from where I was you could see a few cuts on him."
Forensic police officers were at the scene trying to determine what had happened. A police spokesman said officers were working to secure the premises and ensure it was safe before further investigations could take place.