A man who was left fighting for his life after his apartment caught fire has died after succumbing to his injuries.
Emergency services raced to Angus St in Meadowbank, northwest Sydney, at about 3.30pm on Monday after flames were seen pouring from the apartment building.
The 45-year-old man was rescued after firefighters found him unconscious in the hallway outside of his top floor apartment.
Footage from the scene showed the man being carried in a large piece of fabric by emergency services before being loaded into an ambulance.
The man suffered severe burns to 80 per cent of his body and was rushed to the Royal North Shore hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Police said the cause of the fire is not yet known, however an investigation has been launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
Emergency services, including eight fire trucks, were called to the scene before the fire was extinguished at 4.20pm.
Spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW Phil Sheedy explained the fire was caused by an explosion and that no other apartments were damaged in the fire.
‘The explosion has occurred and he’s obviously been able to get out through the front doorway and collapse,’ Mr Sheedy told 9News.
Residents of the apartment complex were evacuated as firefighters fought to contain the blaze for almost an hour.
A firefighter who suffered from chest pains was also taken to Concord Hospital as a precaution.
Resident David Wagner, who lives in the apartment complex across the street, said he saw the ‘the whole thing’.
‘It was just an explosion and then black smoke… You could hear people screaming for help,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.
Police have established a crime scene and are urging anyone with information or who can aid investigations into the cause of the fire to contact Ryde police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A man who was left fighting for his life after his apartment caught fire has died after succumbing to his injuries