Weddings Hotels In San Diego|"Close Watch On Collapsed Hotel"

Source           :      tvnz.co.nz
Category      :     Weddings Hotels In San Diego
By                :      tvnz
Posted By   :     Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Weedings Hotels In San Diego

Engineers are closely monitoring what is left of the Copthorne Hotel in Christchurch following the building's collapse which forced demolition workers to run for their lives. The site has been closed down until a formal investigation is carried out into yesterday afternoon's collapse. Engineers were today combing the floors that pancaked so dramatically. They want to know why tonnes of concrete caved in unexpectedly with two demolition workers in close proximity. The collapse has triggered Health and Safety inspectors to launch a formal investigation. The driver of a nibbler was tearing away concrete on one of the floors when it happened. Scores of onlookers watched in shock. Eyewitness Ian Thornton said it looked to him "very much" like a close call. "I didn't know whether it was just dust hitting him or whether an actual building was coming down on him," he said, referring to one of the on-site workers.Barrier fences were hastily erected yesterday to keep motorists and pedestrians as far away from the building as possible.

And that was just as well because today a steady stream of Christchurch people headed down to take a look at the aftermath of the collapse. But the new barriers mean they can no longer get as close to the demolition site as they could yesterday. "It's quite dramatic, quite stark really," said John Warren, a Christchurch resident . "It happened so suddenly didn't it. And I'm just amazed that the workmen survived that." Despite hundreds of demolitions in the CBD since the February 2011 earthquake, there has only been one serious accident, a worker falling three metres during the massive Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition. Before starting work, all demolition companies had to sign a charter pledging to protect their workers. John Warren says the Copthorne Hotel collapse is "most probably a reminder there's still a danger in the city." Health and Safety inspectors have banned any further work on the hotel site until a new engineering assessment is complete.

Source : tvnz.co.nz/national-news/close-watch-collapsed-hotel-5592942