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Dozens of people have fallen from the stands at a Sydney sporting oval.

Spectators fell onto concrete below as a railing gave way at Leichhardt Oval in the city's inner west this afternoon.

The collapse occurred in front of a crowd of 15,000 people and brought the Riverview versus St Joseph's rugby game to a standstill.

READ MORE: Judith Durham, lead singer of The Seekers, dies aged 79

Paramedics attended the scene and assessed spectators for any injuries.

Leichhardt Oval lost funding for an upgrade this week in an apparent backflip on a pledge to improve parts of the facility.

Judith Durham, the lead singer of the legendary Australian band The Seekers, has died at the age of 79.

Athol Guy released a statement on behalf of the band saying their lives had "changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star".

"Her struggle was intense and heroic — never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion," Guy said.

"Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share."

READ MORE: Marles slams China for breaching UN laws with missile launches near Taiwan

Universal Music released a statement saying Durham "passed away peacefully" in palliative care on Friday night following a brief stay in the Alfred Hospital.

Her death was a result of complications from a long-standing chronic lung disease, the record label said.

It released a statement from Durham's "beloved" sister, Beverley Sheehan, who spoke of their closeness throughout life and shared love of music.

"Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me," Sheehan said.

Durham's nephew Tony Sheehan, speaking for his brother Ben and sister Belinda, said: "We have been blessed to share our lives with her."

Music legends sold 50 million records

Durham joined The Seekers in the 1960s alongside Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley and released hits like I'll Never Find Another You and The Carnival Is Over.

While huge in Australia, they also found success in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The group sold more than 50 million records.

They were joint recipients of the Australian of the Year award in 1967, but split up the following year when Durham left to pursue a solo career.

Twenty-eight years later in 1995, they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In 2014 they were honoured as Officers of the Order of Australia.

Durham married her musical director, British pianist Rob Edgeworth, in 1969.

In 1990, Durham, Edgeworth and their tour manager Peter Summers were in a car accident in Victoria. The driver of the other car died and Durham suffered a broken wrist and leg.

The fan response made Durham consider reuniting with The Seekers for a Silver Jubilee show. During the reunion, Edgeworth was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. He died in 1994, with Durham by his side.

Durham suffered a stroke in May 2013, during the Seekers' Golden Jubilee tour. The stroke meant she could no longer read or write, but she eventually made progress in rebuilding those skills. The stroke did not affect her ability to sing.

In July 2015, Durham was named Victorian of the Year for her services to music and number of different charities.

Tributes for 'a force of nature'

In a statement, Durham's biographer and The Seekers management team member Graham Simpson said: "This is a sad day for Judith's family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith's life for so long."

Universal Music Australia and New Zealand president George Ash said Durham was a force of nature.

"Great artists become part of our fabric and our extended family, and Judith Durham was no exception.

"She was a force of nature, constantly energised with a passion for music and life.

"We were all privileged to have known Judith and heard her heavenly voice. We are deeply saddened by her passing and will miss her dearly."

Cyrus Meher-Homji, a senior vice president at Universal Music Australia and New Zealand, paid tribute to Durham's "artistry" and told of discovering her brilliance when he was a child.

"How would a five-year-old understand the message and spirit of The Carnival Is Over? Perhaps not, but that is the age at which I first encountered Judith Durham and The Seekers, and I was entranced," Meher-Homji said.

"In 2011, we at Universal Music Australia were lucky enough to sign Judith Durham to Decca Australia, at which time Judith wrote of her happiness, knowing that 'the Universal/Decca family now also hold on to my dream and mission to uplift and bring happiness to music fans around the world'.

"High above, the dawn awaits you, Judith. Your artistry will forever be enshrined in our souls."

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Taiwan says it has detected "multiple" Chinese aircraft and naval vessels taking part in military drills around the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, in what could be a possible simulated attack against the island.

The ministry said some of the aircraft and vessels had crossed the sensitive median line in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the Chinese mainland.

"Our military has broadcast warnings, deployed combat air patrol and naval vessels and activated land-based missile systems in response to the situation," said the ministry.

READ MORE: Marles slams China for breaching UN laws with missile launches near Taiwan

China has not yet issued any statements on the purpose of the military drills on Saturday.

The news follows a series of military drills that China has carried out around Taiwan since Thursday after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to the self-governing democratic island earlier this week.

The Chinese Communist Party views Taiwan as its territory, despite never having controlled it, and has long vowed to "reunify" the island with the Chinese mainland — by force if necessary.

Pelosi ignored its furious opposition to her visit by landing in Taipei on Tuesday evening as part of a larger Asia tour that wrapped up Friday with a last stop in Japan.

But the full ramifications of her visit are only now emerging, with China halting cooperation on various issues, worsening already strained US-China ties, and ramping up exercises in the skies and waters around Taiwan.

READ MORE: Blinken: China military drills are 'significant escalation'

On Friday, 68 Chinese warplanes were reported in the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan's Defense Ministry.

Of those, 49 entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone — a buffer of airspace commonly referred to as an ADIZ.

That was just a few planes short of the record set last year when 56 Chinese warplanes entered the ADIZ on the same day.

Nineteen of the warplanes on Friday also crossed the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, the ministry said.

On Thursday, China launched 11 ballistic missiles — some of which flew over the island of Taiwan and landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, prompting Tokyo to lodge a formal complaint with Beijing.

READ MORE: Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 8, including senior militant

That was the first time China had sent missiles over the island.

Also on Thursday, two Chinese drones flew near Japan's Okinawa prefecture, prompting Japan's Air Self-Defense Force to scramble fighter jets in response.

The drills are scheduled to last until Sunday local time in Beijing, according to Chinese state media.

Japan and other G7 economies have urged China to halt its exercises in the strait and maintain the status quo in the region.

Beijing responded by lashing out diplomatically, cancelling future phone calls between Chinese and US defense leaders, annual naval meetings between the two countries, and planned meetings between Chinese and Japanese officials.

China's Foreign Ministry announced a raft of countermeasures against the US on Friday, including sanctions against Pelosi and her immediate family.

China also suspended bilateral climate talks; cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants, transnational crimes and drug operations; and legal assistance on criminal matters.

The White House on Friday accused China of "punishing the whole world" by ending cooperation on the climate, while the Department of Defense said China had "chosen to overreact and use the speaker's visit as a pretext to increase provocative military activity in and around the Taiwan Strait."

John Kirby, the communications coordinator at the National Security Council, said not all communication had been halted between the US and China, and that certain channels between senior leaders remained open — but added that the suspensions were still an "irresponsible act."

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