Incredible footage shows moment more than 13,000-ton building demolished in seconds

By Douglas Whitbread via SWNS

This incredible footage shows the moment when a 12,000-tonne (13,227.736 American tons) coal bunker at a disused power station was demolished in a matter of seconds.

The impressive controlled explosion took place at Eggborough Power plant, in the Selby district of North Yorkshire on March 6.

A team of 50 specialists were involved in reducing the relic of the coal-fired era to rubble after the site was earmarked for redevelopment in 2018.

The breathtaking video shows how engineers set off a series of explosions at the base of the 17 pillars that previously held the bunker up.

In the moments that follow, it crumbles to the floor in a mountain of dust and smoke, as corrugated iron sheets are sent flying through the air.

A 350m (1148.29 ft) exclusion zone was set up around the site to protect members of the public and specialists working on the demolition project before it took place.

They also enforced road closures, supported by officers from North Yorkshire Police.

The former coal power plant, which was commissioned in 1967, previously had the capacity to generate around 1,920 megawatts of electricity - enough to power 2 million homes.

But the site was closed four years ago as part of the government's mandated phase-out of all coal-fired power stations, which is set to be completed in 2025.