A demolition in Denmark went horribly wrong as a disused silo fell sideways, crushing part of the town’s cultural centre.
A crowd had gathered in the town of Vordingborg to watch the collapse of the concrete silo, reacting with horror as it became apparent that the demolition was not going according to plan.
After initially sinking to the left, the 173ft concrete tower unexpectedly lurched to the right, towards a cultural centre housing the town’s library and music school.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Onlookers can be heard shouting ‘no, no, no!’ in the background as the silo begins to topple in the wrong direction,” The Local reports.
“A photo of the aftermath shows one corner of the waterfront building reduced to a mess of splintered lumber and stone, with the fallen silo just feet away,” says the New York Post.
No-one was inside the cultural centre, which had been evacuated prior to the demolition as a safety measure.
“This kind of thing should not happen,” Vordingborg mayor Mikael Smed told The Local. “But I am first and foremost happy that nobody was injured.”
The centre has been temporarily closed while the affected corner of the building is assessed for “structural damage”, and offices are cleared of masonry dust and broken glass.
-
Is a Reform-Tory pact becoming more likely?Today’s Big Question Nigel Farage’s party is ahead in the polls but still falls well short of a Commons majority, while Conservatives are still losing MPs to Reform
-
West Africa’s ‘coup cascade’The Explainer Guinea-Bissau takeover is the latest in the Sahel region, which has quietly become global epicentre of terrorism
-
Daddy Pig: an unlikely flashpoint in the gender warsTalking Point David Gandy calls out Peppa Pig’s dad as an example of how TV portrays men as ‘useless’ fools
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
