The first ever explosive demolition in Athens
31 May 2023
Archive footage from 1995 shows the dramatic moment a 20-storey city-ccentre building was brought down in a controlled explosion, causing a giant cloud of demolition dust to engulf the city of Athens, Greece.
How the event was reported at the time:
“A 20-storey building collapsed in a pile of rubble in Athens on Sunday (May 21) in the first-ever demolition using explosives in the Greek city.
British company Controlled Demolition used 900 sticks of dynamite to level the former Red Cross building.
The building was located in the grounds of a hospital where traditional wrecking methods would have meant weeks of noise and disruption.
Explosives had never been used before to demolish buidings in Athens because of concerns of damage to surrounding structures.
The blast from 200 kg (440 lb) of explosives reduced the partially gutted building to 10,000 t of rubble in seconds.
Onlookers gasped and applauded as a cloud of dust rose. Some onlookers and members of the media who had perched atop nearby buildings were covered in a blanket of dust.
Police closed off a 2 km (1.2 mile) zone around the building as a safety measure while curious members of the public flocked to watch.”
Copyright: REUTERS
Story Copyright: Thomson Reuters
