Woman arrested after allegedly cutting gas and water mains

A woman is in police custody after two Sydney hospitals were allegedly sabotaged on Tuesday morning, which affected gas mains essential for operating patient oxygen and air contingency plans.

Officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command responded to reports of alleged vandalism at two hospitals, including Sutherland Hospital, a public facility on Kareena Road, Caringbah in Sydney’s South East, about 12.20am on Tuesday.

Police were told a 42-year-old woman had entered the grounds of a hospital on Kareena Road, Caringbah, and allegedly cut both the water and gas mains, before activating fire hoses.

Just over an hour later, the woman entered the grounds of another hospital on the same road and allegedly switched off the gas main, NSW Police said.

Health Minister Ryan Park said Sutherland Hospital was able to restore the gas systems about two hours after losing medical gases at 2am on Tuesday.

Police arrested the woman just before 4am on Parkside Avenue, Miranda, for breach of bail and taken to Sutherland Police Station, where inquiries are ongoing, NSW Police said.

“I want to assure the community there was no impact to patient care and that the system has returned to operating as per normal,” he said.

“The cause of the loss of gases is alleged to be deliberate sabotage,” he said.

“Access to gas systems in NSW public hospitals is restricted,” Park’s statement read. “We will review the incident to see what improvements can be implemented.”

More to come.