Villawood Detention Centre fires under control, says Immigration
PROTESTING asylum seekers have torched a number of buildings inside Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre, sparking an explosion, as authorities fail to gain control of the volatile situation.
Firefighters are unable to enter the facility due to safety concerns.
NSW Police are maintaining a security perimeter outside the centre due to jurisdictional limits, keeping scores of onlookers a safe distance away.
At the same time Australian Federal Police and the centre's security force are trying move non-protesting detainees to safe areas within the centre.
The incident remained out of control at 4am (AEST), with an immigration spokeswoman saying at that time that the destructive protest was ongoing and the situation remained fluid.
"A number of agencies are working to bring the centre back under control," she said.
Earlier reports that NSW Police had taken control of trying to bring calm to the centre were based on incorrect information, the spokeswoman said.
At least one multi-storey structure had gone up in flames and had partially collapsed.
An explosion, thought to have come from a gas bottle inside a kitchen area, shook the ground.
Fire crews had through the night battled at least three major fires from outside the centre, because detainees were running amok inside the centre.
Ten fire trucks rushed to the facility, in Sydney's southwest, about 10.30pm (AEST) yesterday.
Fire Superintendent Chris Jurgeit said three ladder trucks had hoses in elevated positions, dousing a series of buildings, demountables and sheds that were on fire.
"We can't get too much water into the structures," Supt Jurgeit said. "It's like a prison fire. We don't want to put firefighters at risk."
There were no reports of injuries at this stage.
A NSW police spokeswoman said the detention centre was Commonwealth property and officers cannot enter without authorisation from the Department of Immigration.
"We're sitting tight until they request our help," the spokeswoman said. "We don't have jurisdiction."
Refugee advocate Brami Jegan was one of 200 people gathered outside the detention centre and said a two-to-three storey building was well alight.
"I can see quite a few fires," Ms Jegan said. "The whole place seems to have pockets of fire everywhere."
The problems began yesterday morning when two asylum seekers took to the roof of one building reportedly in protest to the department denying their applications.
Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul said a total of 13 asylum seekers were on the roof by Wednesday evening and were there when others on the ground started the fires.
Mr Rintoul remains in contact with some of the detainees who described the situation as chaotic.
He said one of the detainees told him: "We are too tired. I have never seen Villawood like this. Everyone is protesting. Everything is burning now."
Social Justice Network spokesman Jamal Daoud is also in contact with detainees who said that Serco security officers at Villawood have been attacked.
"The detainees attacked SERCO security with fire extinguishers and (were) throwing objects on them," Mr Daoud said in an email. "The detainees told me that they are experiencing difficult breathing because of this.
"There is total chaos inside the detention (centre), with detainees from the rooftop throwing roof tiles on the ground."
Ms Jegan said the 13 rooftop protesters - eight Afghans, three Kurds, two Iranians - had been in detention for between 13 and 20 months and were desperate.
About 150 detainees were protesting on the ground, she said.
Some of the detainees had been taken to a visitors' centre for their safety, she said.
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