Demolition begins at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Joplin

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.