Watch: Birmingham tower block demolition sees workers dash for cover

This is the moment workers ran from an engulfing dust cloud moments after demolishing a Birmingham residential tower block.

The footage was caught by Mail reader Sharon Boland as Cornwall Tower in Heaton Street, Hockley, was brought crashing down on Sunday.

The video shows the eight-storey block of flats being demolished and four workers running as a dust cloud starts billowing towards them.

Billy Young, contracts manager for DSM Demolition Group, which carried out the controlled explosion, said: We were caught out a little bit by the high wind which was blowing down Heaton Street and four of us including myself ran away as it descended on us.

However, there was never any risk to the safety of the public.

"People who were watching were at a safe distance and were advised to turn their backs when the dust cloud reached them. It was a very successful controlled demolition.

Cornwall Tower is one of eight tower blocks earmarked for demolition as part of a Birmingham City Council 26 million housing demolition programme.

A council spokeswoman said: The purpose of the demolition is to improve the efficiency of council housing by removing properties with high future investment costs that will achieve savings.

"It will also improve the effectiveness of Council housing stock by creating opportunities for the development of new, affordable, high quality homes that better meets the current and future needs of the citizens of Birmingham and contribute to the creation of sustainable communities.

Read more:
Watch: Birmingham tower block demolition sees workers dash for cover