Sydney Anglicans Vaughan and Caroline Olliffe were forced to flee their home with only what they were wearing after the near collapse of their Lane Cove unit block yesterday.
The young couple are thanking God that no one died or was injured after 10 metres of road collapsed outside their three-story unit block around 2am, causing large cracks in walls, and balconies to partially collapse.
The Olliffes, who are members of Naremburn-Cammeray parish, woke to debris falling from their bedroom ceiling and a cracking sound.
"I woke up about 10 to 2 and heard thumps on the roof " I thought someone was trying to break in," Mrs Olliffe recalls.
After hearing a commotion downstairs, a neighbour went around the front of the building to see what had happened. Mrs Olliffe says the resident ran back, screaming "there's a massive hole, you'll have to get out'.
"[Vaughan and I] grabbed our mobiles and keys, and just got dressed in whatever we could find."
The Olliffes then alerted sleeping residents " two in their 90s and another who is pregnant " to the dangers of the crumbling building. They also called the police, fire brigade and news crews.
The unit block is near to the exit ramp from Epping Road to the Pacific Highway, where construction on the Lane Cove tunnel has been going on for months. The tunnel's operators say "rock slippage' caused the hole in the road and the building to give way.
After trying to come to terms with the shock yesterday, the Olliffes shopped for clothing and essential items after reimbursement from the tunnel operators, and have joined their 45 neighbours in temporary accommodation in a North Ryde hotel.
"We feel God was working to get us out quickly and is looking after us," Mrs Olliffe said.
"Maybe we won't see [our home and contents] again, but it has been a good reminder that we think a lot about our possessions and make them important in our lives."
"Please pray that we would be able to cope while not knowing what is going on and being away from home. It's all a bit up in the air at the moment and we don't know if we will get out [of the hotel] or not."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma has promised an investigation into the cause of the collapse and will hold a private meeting with residents of the affected unit block, AAP reported.
