These buildings were abandoned during construction, which was part of the Liyang Star City Phase II project in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. The reason for the demolition was that these buildings no longer met market demand standards, and the long-term abandonment had caused rainwater to seep into the foundations of the buildings and caused irreparable damage.
Before the explosion, about 2,000 households with more than 5,300 people had been evacuated. The surrounding area was completely sealed off, and relevant staff were also present. Vehicles such as rescue vehicles, environmental sanitation vehicles, and law enforcement vehicles of the Urban Management Department were parked at the intersection of Beihaiyuan Road and Huigu Road.
Many people gathered on the road outside the blockade to witness the explosion. Meanwhile, other activities outside the area in shops and traffic continued as normal.
4.6 tons of explosives were placed at 85,000 blast points in the buildings. The demolition took place in 45 seconds and destroyed 1 billion yuan (US$154 million) worth of property.
Video recording the entire explosion scene:
