PLANTATION, Fla. (AP) — Crews have begun demolition of a Florida shopping plaza that exploded due to a gas leak.
Demolition began Tuesday at the site in Plantation, which is west of Fort Lauderdale. Twenty two people were injured in the blast at a defunct pizza restaurant. State officials say an open natural gas valve caused the July 6 blast.
Plantation spokesman Steve Geller tells the South Florida SunSentinel that the shopping center recently got a permit to proceed with the work.
The newspaper reports EDENS, which owns the shopping center, plans to build new shops on the site. Demolition is expected to take about two weeks.