19-11-2006
Building brought down safely under controlled detonation
Hundreds watched a 70-metre tall building in Khalidiya come down with a bang in 12 seconds yesterday.
The 21-storey building on King Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Street behind Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank on Zayed The First Street was demolished with explosives after the last one was demolished about 11 years ago.
Demolitions by controlled explosions were halted due to damage to neighboring buildings during a previous operation.
The explosives were detonated at 12.12pm and within 12 seconds the tower was reduced to a mound of debris. The tower was vacated in February.
"The entire operation was successful. We have checked the area and there is no damage. I thank residents for their cooperation with Abu Dhabi Police and other teams involved in the operation," said Lt. Colonel Humaid Saeed Al Afreet, Head of the Committee for Building Demolition Operations and Director of the Abu Dhabi Police Explosives Control Section.
The demolition was carried out by Controlled Explosives of the UK, Bin Hani Establishment, the main contractor, and Gulf Rock, a Swedish firm based in Ras Al Khaimah and under the supervision of Lt. Colonel Al Afreet.
It was the third building to be demolished with the use of explosives in 12 years in Abu Dhabi. The first was in 1994 and the second more than a year later.
He said 200kg of explosives were detonated by a non-electrical method.
There were 882 apartments in 16 buildings marked for evacuation. Some of the apartments were already empty.
All residents of adjacent buildings returned to their apartments by 5pm.
