Controlled demolition reduces damaged Rahova tower to lower four floors

A controlled demolition carried out on Tuesday eliminated the fifth to eighth stories of the Rahova apartment block, which had partially collapsed after a powerful explosion in October 2025. The work employed a hydraulic cutter mounted on an excavator, allowing workers to dismantle the unstable upper sections while preserving the ground floor and the first four levels. The municipality announced the project as a Romanian first, citing the building’s delicate condition and the need for specialized equipment.

Prior to demolition, authorities inspected 270 apartments in neighboring stairwells for cracks and compiled a more-than-500-page monitoring report. The original blast, near the Dimitrie Bolintineanu High School, was initially linked to gas-pipeline leaks and later to a possible short-circuit near the pipe. The State Construction Inspectorate had earlier flagged major structural damage and prohibitive reinforcement costs.