Going, going... gone: Incredible photos show moment tower block is reduced to rubble


This was the spectacular moment a 17-storey concrete tower block was blown to pieces - in a thundering controlled explosion.

Glencairn Tower block was reduced to 12,000 tonnes of rubble by 55kg of explosives, as council bosses blasted away almost 50 years of memories.Thousands of spectators - many of whom were once residents of the massive tower block - watched from an exclusion zone set up around the high-rise.

Hundreds more viewed the action from the safety of their homes in nearby towers as the residential building, opened 1964, was destroyed. Colin Campbell, a former tenant of the block in Motherwell, Scotland, said: 'It's been a nostalgic and emotional day for myself and probably for a number of local people.

'Having lived in and grown up in the tower I have many fond memories of the building, particularly as my dad was one of the caretakers there. It was spectacular to see and I'm sure the new houses planned for the tower site will make a positive difference to the local area.'

Glencairn Tower was once the largest of North Lanarkshire's 49 multi-storey towers.

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Ready to go: 17-storey Glencairn Tower in Motherwell, Scotland sits primed with 55kg of explosives



Going! Carefully timed explosions are sett off at key points in the building and the huge structure begins to crumble

Going: The massive block, originally opened in 1964, appears to fold into itself as comes crashing to the ground

Gone: The sprawling building comes tumbling down shrouded in a cloud of dust

Aftermath: the sprawling block has been reduced to a pile of rubble . Thousands of spectators - many of whom were once residents of the massive tower block - watched from an exclusion zone

Its demolition was carried out by Technical Demolition Services (TDS) with support from Precision Demolition Company.

Cllr Barry McCulloch, convener of housing and social work services on North Lanarkshire Council, hailed the demolition as a success, saying: 'Our aim was to ensure the tower was demolished safely and with minimum disruption to local residents and businesses during this process and today's successful demolition achieved that.