News / Avon Fire and Rescue
Glass blown off top of hotel tower during Storm Dudley
A large cordon was put in place around the centre after part of a pane of glass was blown off the top of one of Bristol’s tallest buildings.
The strong winds caused by Storm Dudley caused damage to the Radisson Blu on Wednesday evening, with the rest of the damaged panel almost at the top of the tower removed on Thursday morning.
Ropes were dangled over the top of the 61-metre high tower with a member of Avon Fire & Rescue’s Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) service hitting the remaining glass with a hammer to cause it to fall down to the pavement below.
Buses were diverted while the area around Broad Quay was closed as a small crowd gathered to watch proceedings unfold high above.
After removing the rest of the damaged panel, the USAR member abseiled down the entire height of the tower to a flat roof above the main entrance to the hotel.
The panes of glass that make up the former Bristol & West tower are in different shades of blue with the cladding designed to make it blend into the sky.
A large cordon was put in place around the Radisson Blu from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo & video: Martin Booth
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