Rozelle shop explosion: Police establish crime scene after three bodies recovered (ABC)

Police are seeking public assistance as they investigate the cause of an explosion at a shop in Sydney's inner west that claimed three lives.

The bodies of a woman and child, believed to be 31-year-old Bianka O'Brien and her 12-month-old son Jude, were pulled from the rubble on Friday afternoon.

Firefighters stood on the street in Rozelle and silently watched as the two bodies were stretchered out of the wreckage.

The body of 27-year-old Chris Noble was retrieved from the site in Darling Street on Thursday night.

Police said post-mortem examinations would be conducted on the bodies in the coming days.

Detective Superintendent Murray Chapman said the investigation was in an early phase but would be comprehensive.

Police have yet to interview the owner of the convenience store, Adeel Khan, who was in intensive care at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after being injured in the blast.

They are appealing for help in identifying a silver sedan seen leaving the area at the time of the blast.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Noble's mother Liz said her son was killed when he should have felt safe in his home.

"We lost our beautiful boy yesterday when he should have been safe sleeping in his own bed," Ms Noble said at a police press conference.

She said Chris would be deeply missed but they would remember his good qualities.

"We are gutted," she said.

"We will remember Chris for his athletic ability, work ethic and watch collection."

Detective Superintendent Chapman said Ms O'Brien's husband John was also devastated by the loss of his wife and baby son.

"The family is gutted, as you can imagine, absolutely gutted," he said.

Mayor of Leichhardt, Darcy Byrne, said the community's thoughts and prayers were with the families affected by the explosion.

"Buildings have been flattened, our economy may suffer but it's the human cost of this tragedy which has hit the people of Rozelle so hard," he said.

"No words can change that except to say that the love and the prayers of the people of Rozelle and the people of Sydney go out to the victims and their families today."

NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Tom Cooper said the damage to the building was similar to what might be seen after a major earthquake.

"When I arrived at the site yesterday afternoon it was very reminiscent of Christchurch," he said.

Superintendent Cooper said search crews used the same methods and equipment used in natural disaster zones to look for survivors.

"Firefighters from the urban search and rescue team have been using state-of-the-art listening devices," he said.

"It's equipment that we've used on deployments overseas to Christchurch and in Japan."

Police begin criminal investigation

Police said the investigation into the cause of the fire was in its early stages, and they would not be examining the crime scene until fire and rescue officers declared it safe.

"We're working as fast as possible with NSW Fire and Rescue to render it safe," Detective Superintendent Chapman said.

Leichhardt area commander Inspector Clive Ainley said the Arson and Property Crimes unit had begun interviewing witnesses.

NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Paul Johnstone said the buildings either side of the explosion were still unsafe.

"The building has collapsed, both buildings either side are structurally unsound," he said.

"We have monitoring equipment so if these buildings were to move as much as five millimetres — it would alarm and we'd be out."

Residents mourn loss

Local resident Glenn Dubois, who survived the 2002 Bali bombings, said he was shattered by the Rozelle blast.

"It certainly brings back memories," he said.

"I think the community in general is in shock. It'll take a long time to recover from this, the nice inner city community atmosphere we've got here."

Another resident, Rachel Lonergan, said it was a sad and shocking scene.

"[It's] very shocking to see those photos from above where you see those buildings not existing anymore," she said.

"The idea that the building was there yesterday and not there today and knowing that there's been loss of life."

Rozelle Primary School usually hosts thousands of visitors from across Sydney to the markets in its grounds each Saturday and Sunday. 

But this weekend they will be closed because access to the suburb was likely to remain restricted and locals were suffering an emotional impact from the blast. 

Jeanne Albrecht, who runs the markets, said it would not be right to have them open so close to the site of the tragedy. 

Like many locals in the tight knit community she was horrified by the blast, shaken by the belief it may not have been accidental, and devastated for the families involved. 

"I know the guy in the phone shop. I know it was his sister," she said.

"It's just awful. I can't believe it happened here."

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