“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of both cabin occupants and our thoughts are with the gentleman currently being treated in hospital,” she said.
“We are also providing immediate support for our team on site who are understandably very distressed by this terrible accident.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Sydney, the Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Snowy Mountains and parts of the Hunter and the Mid North Coast, with total fire bans in place and gusts of up to 100km/h forecast.
Greater Sydney has a high fire danger warning, while an extreme fire danger rating is in place across the Illawarra region and as far south as Durras North near Batemans Bay. Residents in extreme fire danger areas are advised to take action to protect their properties from possible fires.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is advising residents in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven districts to put their bushfire survival plans into action.
RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said fires could escalate quickly in windy conditions.
Shepherd said that while fire bans were not unusual at this time of year, it was more common for them to be in place in the state’s north.
Sunrise at Mona Vale on Monday ahead of a total fire ban.
Credit: Nick Moir
“What we are asking people to do is just ensure that their plans are in place,” he said.
“We’ve seen a quick swing, basically from being very wet across winter now to being very dry and potentially dangerous, so we just need people to understand their own risk and plan accordingly.”
More than 36,000 properties are without power across the state as a result of the weather. The Southern Highlands is the worst affected region and Blackheath in the Blue Mountains is the worst affected town.
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More than 30,000 Endeavour Energy customers are without power, while more than 6800 Ausgrid customers’ have been impacted. Hundreds of Essential Energy customers are also affected.
Because of the fire bans, Endeavour Energy has disabled its automated technology network, meaning services must be reconnected manually.
As of Monday morning, several small under-control grass fires were burning along the coast south of Sydney.
Gusts of up to 113km/h were recorded at Thredbo about 2.45am on Monday. The SES is advising people to move vehicles under cover or away from trees, to secure or put away loose items, report fallen power lines and monitor conditions.
The warnings come after a grass fire threatened homes in Sydney’s south-west last Wednesday on the city’s hottest August day in nine years.
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