MARADU: After anxious moments and delay from the original time, two flat complexes -- 18-storey Holy Faith H2O and 16-storey Alfa Serene twin towers -- at Maradu municipality in Kochi turned dust within a gap of five minutes on Saturday after the authorities executed the orders of the Supreme Court to raze down the high-rise apartments for violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.
The demolition, which was to be conducted at 11 am and 11.05 am respectively, was held at 11.17 am and 11.41 am, amid huge roar from crowds who came from far and wide to Maradu from early morning to witness the spectacle.
The first siren went at the scheduled time at 10.32 am, but the second siren was delayed to 11.09 am, and the final siren was sounded at 11.16 am. Within a minute of the third siren, the first apartment complex Holy Faith H2O was dusted in what seemed like a perfect implosion.
The second apartment complex -- the Alfa Serene twin towers -- was dusted at 11.41 am, after the fourth siren at 11.40 am with the dust particles spreading far and wide. It's not known whether the twin towers exploded as per the plan with the dust particles falling into the backwaters and into the entire area. Reports said the controlled implosion of the second towers may not have gone as perfectly as planned.
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The delay in the controlled implosion was caused as the Indian Navy helicopters took time to conduct the aerial survey, making sure that everything was under control and secure, before the blasts.
The demolition comes after weeks' long preparation and evacuating hundreds of families living 200 meters of the area, went almost as per the plan.
Hundreds of people from across the state and families of those who lost their apartments gathered near the area to witness the 'once in a lifetime event'.
Two other apartment complexes -- Jains Coral Cove and Golden Kayaloram -- will be demolished on Sunday, bringing to culmination the drama that unfolded after the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra ordered the demolishing of the four apartment complexes on May 8, 2019.