March 5th, 2008
The demolition of a South Carolina building has been pushed into 2008 after asbestos was found in the gutted store. The fire that destroyed the building also took the lives of nine firefighters called to battle the blaze.
The building that took the largest count of firefighters lives since the attacks of September 11th will not be demolished until asbestos is removed from the old store. The building was supposed to be leveled by the end of 2007, but air quality test results came back positive for the dangerous material. The fire that gutted the store took the lives of nine firefighters called to put the fire out, the largest loss of firefighters since the attacks on the Trade Center buildings in New York.
The building was sealed after the asbestos was found, so that no other lives will be lost to the old furniture building. Asbestos that is disturbed, such as during a fire, can become airborne posing the threat of exposing the public to asbestos exposure. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to respiratory diseases and cancer, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that results from breathing in asbestos particles, which stick to the lungs and keep them from absorbing oxygen.
Breaking News
