Demolition begins at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Joplin
JAN. 29, 2012 - A wrecking ball ceremoniously begins the demolition at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Joplin
Photographer: KSHB
Copyright: CNN
Posted: 01/30/2012
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By: Associated Press
JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - Demolition has begun on a Joplin hospital that took a direct hit from a deadly May 22 tornado.
The Joplin Globe reported that about 1,000 people turned out Sunday for a ceremony at the shell of the once-bustling St. John's Mercy Hospital. Speakers talked about the history of the hospital before a wrecking ball ceremonially smacked the side of the building a few times.
From there, the crowd went to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new structure. It is being built at a site three miles away.
The tornado cut a wide path through Joplin and hit the hospital particularly hard, knocking out virtually every window, killing and injuring several people inside.
For now, St. John's is operating out of a temporary space.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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