Four Women Taken to Hospital Following Acid Spill at Lake Macquarie Pharmacy

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Four women have been transported to Belmont District Hospital this morning, after an acid spill at a Blacksmiths pharmacy, just before 10am.

The Lake Macquarie, Pharmacy 4 Less building was evacuated due to a spill of glacial acidic acid at around 9:50am.

The Hospital is yet to confirm the condition of the four women.

Ambulance and four Fire and Rescue crews arrived on scene, with Hazmat officers also arriving  to clean up the spill.

Police taped off the area, with a 30 meter exclusion zone established around the building.

The pharmacist on duty was reportedly advised to go to hospital after being exposed to the smell of the chemical, but decided not to go and is reportedly in a healthy condition.

The area was fully cleared at around 11.20am.

The pharmacy has now re-opened.

Investigations are continuing.

                                Blacksmiths Pharmacy 4 Less Image: Google Maps

House fire at Fletcher

BY JARROD MELMETH

Firefighters have extinguished a blaze in Fletcher after reports of smoke from the back room of a home on Mowane Street.

The fire started just before 10am in the laundry with the suffering smoke damage.

Newcastle Fire Command has confirmed that everyone inside the home at the time of the fire has been accounted for.

Fire destroys property near Dungog

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

Fire has destroyed a garage on a property at Martins Creek just south of Dungog overnight.

Both RFS and NSW Fire and Rescue crews were called to Cory Street just after 8pm to find a 6 by 9 metre double garage engulfed in flames.

Newcastle Fire Command says it appears the garage was being used for storage and the cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Eighty people evacuated after apartment fire

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

Firefighters were called to an apartment block in Newcastle West overnight following reports a fire had broken out.

Newcastle Fire Command say they were called to The Cove apartments in Bellevue Street just after 10pm after worried neighbours reported smoke coming from a unit on the 8th floor.

They say they were unable to alert the resident.

Firefighters forced their way into the apartment to find a 68-year-old man wandering around disoriented.

He was treated for smoke inhalation, and 80 occupants of the apartment block were evacuated.

Police say the man had fallen asleep while lamp chops were cooking on the stove.

Image Daniel Irwin newcastleherald.com.au