The ground shook and clouds of dust swirled to the skies as a thunderous implosion reduced a six-story factory building on Zhaojiabang Road to rubble yesterday afternoon.

The 5,400-square-meter site in Xuhui District which held the building is being cleared to make way for the second phase of the 8-hectare Xujiahui Park project.

Within two seconds the 20-meter-plus-high building was leveled to ground using as much as 50 kilograms of explosives, which were placed in 900 holes on 36 8-meter-high supporting pillars that held the whole structure. Except for road traffic being blocked for about a total of 15 minutes before and after the explosion, no casualties or damage was reported, explosion project officials said.

"The explosion was satisfactory and has achieved what we set out to do," said Li Yansong of Shanghai Fudan Engineering Blasting Co., who directed yesterday's controlled blast.

Shops across the street and residents in the neighboring area had been given prior notice to close their windows and remove clothes hung out for drying to avoid dust.

The building was built by China Record Shanghai Co. in the 1970s, and was used for making audio compact discs. The company's production lines were shifted to another location last week.

As part of the park project, three other buildings belonging to the record company will also be blasted out of existence before August.

The park will be completed by August next year, and is likely to be the largest green patch west of the Huangpu River, city officials said.

(Eastday.com.cn 06/20/2001)