Glasgow Commonwealth Games to go off with a bang

Glasgow: This year`s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will literally begin with a bang when tower blocks that have shaped the city`s skyline for five decades will be blown up as part of the opening ceremony.

Five of the six remaining Red Road blocks of flats will be brought down simultaneously in the space of 15 seconds during the opening ceremony at Celtic Park on 23 July. Their demise, the likes of which has never been seen at a sporting event before, is the biggest demolition of its kind in Europe and it will be shown live on a 100-metre wide screen at the stadium and to a TV audience. "This spectacular start to the games within the opening ceremony will send a strong signal about the power of the Commonwealth Games," Shona Robison, the Commonwealth Games Minister, said. "For many people, these games are more than sport, they are a chance for regeneration, renewal and having better places to live and work." The 30-storey structures, which were built in the 1960s and were once the highest flats in Europe, are being demolished as part of a Glasgow Housing Association regeneration project. The Commonwealth Games run from 23 July to the 3 August.