It fell like a pack of cards in 30 seconds flat!

A multi-storeyed historic guest house in posh Malabar hill was pulled down in Mumbai on Monday by a modern implosion technique employed for the first time in this metropolis.

The Maharashtra government's high-profile High Mount Guest House, a venue of high-voltage political meetings for several years now, became a mound of concrete and twisted steel in seconds. The debris fell within the area where the structure stood and without causing any damage to the neighbouring buildings.

The implosion technique, using explosives, developed by a Chennai company ensured that no debris flew dangerously.

The state government had decided late last year to pull down the guest house, located on a prime plot with a view of the ocean on Malabar Hill. It will make way for a multi-storeyed building housing luxury suites for VIPs.

The guest house had served as a temporary residence for several dignitaries. It has 22 rooms to accommodate guests like members of the judiciary, senior officials and politicians visiting Mumbai.

We are planning to construct 57 luxury suites of 750 sq ft each, according to Public Works Department minister Chhagan Bhujbal. The estimated cost of the project would be around Rs 12 crore.

The guest house has been at the centre of activity during various historic political developments. For instance, after the 1992 riots in Mumbai, then chief minister Sudharkarrao Naik had invited the wrath from various quarters, including his own party.

Reportage: PTI | Photograph: Arun Patil