Residents of a high-rise Sydney tower block have been told to leave for a second time as a "precautionary measure" after a crack was found in its walls earlier this week, according to reports.
Many residents of the 36-storey Opal Tower overlooking Sydney Olympic Park had been able to move back in after cracking was heard on Monday.
The company that built the tower said it was "structurally sound", but residents were told during a meeting on Thursday that they could be out of their homes for up to 10 days, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
The builder, Icon, said that the relocation would allow engineers to work around the clock to repair the site.
Around 3,000 people were evacuated from the tower and its surroundings on Christmas Eve as emergency services set up a 1-kilometre (0.6 mile) exclusion zone and engineers examined the building amid fears it might collapse.
A crack developed in a wall on the 10th floor, and 51 apartments were declared unsafe.
Police later allowed residents of the remainder of the building's 392 apartments to return home.
On Thursday, Icon said: "The building is structurally sound and the temporary relocation is a precautionary measure to allow engineers to work around the clock to comprehensively investigate and remediate the site in the quickest time frame possible, without further disruption to residents."
It added: "The damaged section of the building has now been reinforced as a precautionary measure while a team of engineers carries out the investigation."
Guy Templeton, an engineer from firm WSP who are providing support to Icon, said the structure was sound.
He told a press conference: "I’m very comfortable standing right here, below the building.
“[But] the reasons for the failure at the moment are unknown.”
New South Wales Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Julie Boon told reporters on Monday that an internal support wall failed.
"It's been a particularly frustrating time for residents and we're very aware they are keen to go home the night before Christmas," Ms Boon said. "This is a large building and it's critical the safety of the residents comes first."
The £130 million building had been completed in August.
