Demolition begins after explosion

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Demolition has begun in the south side Indianapolis neighborhood damaged by a massive explosion.

The Department of Code Enforcement has said 33 homes will need to be demolished. Six homes had been set to be torn down Monday, but delays in permitting and other paperwork delayed the work to Tuesday.

One home would be demolished by the end of Tuesday, the company completing the work, ABC Contractors, said. The lot will be cleared by the end of the week, and the homeowners were planning to rebuild. 

On such a job, said ABC's Sabrina Swinehart, the crew usually consists of two or three people. On this job, however, the company has six people on site to make sure everything runs safely.

Residents can fight a demolition order by hiring an engineer and submitting a written plan to rebuild, DCE said. As of Monday, no such appeals had been filed. Property owners of the homes slated for demolition have been notified through email, in person or by notices posted on the homes. 

Two people were killed and about 90 homes were damaged when an explosion rocked the south side neighborhood of Richmond Hill on Nov. 10. The explosion is being investigated as a homicide after all accidental causes were ruled out.

Demolition video: