An attempt to knock one of Dublin's tallest buildings this morning has failed.
A huge controlled explosion saw approximately half of the 14-storey nurses' accommodation tower at St Vincent’s Hospital collapse. The company in charge of the demolition, Controlled Demolition Ltd, said it would now revert to a wrecking ball and hoped to completely knock the building within 48 hours.
The building is to be replaced by a £170 million development - providing a new accident and emergency department, 18 intensive care units and radiology and pathology units.
Work on the project is expected to start in March with a completion date of 2004.
A British demolition company was brought to knock the building with the use of explosives.
A spokesman at St Vincent's Hospital said there was no danger from the leaning building to patients or anyone else using the hospital.