380-Foot Tower in Frankfurt Blown Up at Record-Breaking Demolition (VIDEO)
A 380-foot tower in Frankfurt, Germany was blown up Sunday in a record-breaking explosion. The European demolition was one of the biggest known controlled explosions on the continent, and thousands of spectators gasped as the huge tower collapsed in a cloud of dust.
The 380-foot tower located in Germany's financial capital was formerly the residence of a university, but the school moved to a different location last year, according to the Associated Press. Construction workers decided to use 2,095 pounds of explosives to blow up with the building in one fell swoop, causing a loud boom and then an ominous dust cloud rising in the middle of the busy city.
The initial plan for the Frankfurt tower was to have it gradually deconstructed, but the residents surrounding the tower were bothered by the constant noise. After their objections, construction workers settled on one big explosion.
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For the event, authorities made sure no one was within 250 meters, or 273 yards, of the building. Surrounding residents were notified in advance, and over 30,000 were estimated to watch the demolition.
In the video, the large explosion brings down one side of the tower first, followed by the other, as audible gasps are heard due to the size and loud noise of the bang that followed.
The Frankfurt university tower was built in 1972. Two new towers will be built at the site once the considerable debris is cleared away.
