Southern Demolition gives evidence at investigation into TV building collapse continues.
The director of Southern Demolition found charred furniture as rubble was cleared from the CTV building’s wreckage in the immediate aftermath of a devastating earthquake in which the building collapsed.
Speaking at a Royal Commission investigation into the catastrophic structural collapse, Alan Edge said fire that started near the lift shaft after the February 22 quake travelled some distance under the rubble.
Edge was at the company office in Mowbray St when the quake hit. He received a call from the Fire Service and police asking for Southern Demolition to go to the CTV building because it had collapsed.
He arrived with four operators, two high-reach diggers and a 30-tonne excavator after about two hours. He said the demolition his company carried out was solely for finding survivors and bodies.
When he arrived he could see smoke. At that stage the fire was localised to the lift-shaft area. Flames then became visible, indicating the fire was burning underneath, he said.
He estimated a third of the building was smouldering.
He stayed at the CTV site for 19 hours, went home to sleep for two to three hours, then returned for another 18 to 19 hours. When he returned the fire was still smouldering, but he did not recall seeing flames. As rubble was pulled away, charred furniture was visible underneath.
Edge said this confirmed the fire had travelled some distance from the lift shaft under the rubble.
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